Doom: Hell
by rika08
Summary: No place is safe anymore, not when the mutation has spread. Those that have turned rule the earth with a savage thirst for blood, and those that survived have fled the plane. A new weapon may be able to turn the tides of this war and end the terror caused by C24. The one question is, should it? But there is something to fear, something unseen...till now.
1. Not Over Yet

Hell had followed them back from Nevada. That was the only way to explain the carnage that ruled the halls of whatever base Vera stood in. The power had been taken out base wide, leaving only the emergency lighting to display the horror. Splatters and sprays of blood covered every wall. Bullet holes marked firefights from the soldiers, and bodies, whole and pieced, littered the floor where they died. Pools covered the floors. Bloodied footprints lead paths around dark corners. And all around the air was filled with the distinct grunting sounds of the infected. There was even sounds of feeding. Vera silently moved down the hall, walking through the bloody pools, not caring that she trailed though infected blood barefoot. She stepped around each body, searching through their gear for anything that could help her. Unarmed, she could only handle a few at a time, but armed, then it was a whole new playing field. Vera retrieved several mags of ammo and tucked them into a confiscated tactical belt. She took several holsters and loaded up with pistols. Finally, Vera took up one of the discarded M16 rifles and a few mags. It should be enough to get her off base at least.

Loaded up with weapons, Vera hugged the wall, staying in the shadows, and moved through the hall. She thumbed the trigger of the rifle as she moved toward the dark corner. She could hear ragged breathing of infected nearby, hear their distended heartbeats, the grinding of their teeth into flesh. Vera took a deep breath and stepped around the corner. Ten yards from her position, a horde of infected knelt on the ground, feasting away at the remains of soldiers. Her gun light skimmed over their bloodied backs and deformed heads. None of them had yet to fully transform, leaving their physical state in between human and Imp. Vera pulled the trigger, just as her gun light caught the attention of one of the infected. Bullets ripped through the hall, blasting through the skulls of the infected. Their bodies jerked upon impact, collapsing on the ground, joining their fallen comrades.

With the last body to the ground, the hall drew silent. Vera counted the seconds, waiting to see if the silence would be short lived. She heard the familiar pattern of ragged breathing, having made that strangled sound one too many times. Vera waited, listening as the ragged breathing grew worse, until it finally stopped. Then, and only then, did she continue to move down the hall. Her steps took her through the blood, adding to the print patterns that already covered the floor. Vera picked up the pace, nearly running through the hall. Her rifle was gripped tightly in her hands. Her eyes made a frequent sweep of the hall, watching for signs of anything.

_Keep moving. Keep moving._ She told herself. _Can't stay still for too long._

But the real question was, where was she to go? If the infected were on base, there was no telling how many there were, or how far they had gone. Hell, they could have broke through the fences and made their way to a populated area. If they had, then no place was safe. It wouldn't matter where she went, she would still find herself staring down with an Imp.

The hallway split into two sections, leading two different directions. Vera stopped, staring down both halls. The right lead to the infirmary and then the barracks. The left lead toward the prison cells and further, the transports. Infirmary held supplies that she may no longer need, but the tools could be used as weapons. The barracks might hold more survivors, or someone who could tell her what the hell happened? The cells could hold the same, tools and information. It also held transport. Left or right? Left or right? Vera glanced down each tunnel, rocking on her bloodied heels with uncertainty. Finally Vera headed down the right tunnel.

No more than four steps down the tunnel, an earsplitting shriek rang through the hall, turning Vera's blood to ice. Slowly, Vera turned toward the sound. It came from the left tunnel. The shriek had pierced every nerve in her body only hours ago. It had split her blood cells, shaken her muscles, destroyed her eardrums, and it was doing to same to some poor bastard. Moving without a though, Vera clutched her weapon and headed down the left hall. Her steps grew faster as the shriek maintained its length. Soon, Vera burst into a sprint. The closer she drew, the louder the shriek became, but it didn't effect her this time.

Vera burst into the holding cell block. Her eyes immediately fell to the Imp. It stood ten yards from her position, its back turned to her. Vera snapped the rifle to her shoulder and fired a single round. Its head exploded with unexpected force. Vera felt the wind rush past her right ear before the blood from the Imp covered her face and scrubs. It rolled down her face, between her eyes, and down her lips. Vera wipped the blood from her face.

"Vera?"

Vera turned. On the floor twenty yards from her was Captain Stijn. His uniform was covered in blood, his hands covered his bloody ears, but he appeared relatively unharmed. "Stijn."

Stijn sighed heavily and stood. "Damn good to know you're alive."

"Likewise." she answered. "The hell happened?"

Stijn managed to his feet. "All hell broke loose."

"I noticed."

"Not like this." Stijn replied. He glanced down at the dead Imp. "Didn't know you carried explosive tipped bullets."

Vera frowned. "I don't."

"Then how did-?"

"Vera!"

Vera looked past Stijn, down the cell block hall. "John."

* * *

mwahahaha...that is all :)


	2. Regroup

_1795...1796...1797...1798...1799...1800-_

_THUMP!_

_1...2...3...4...5...6...7-_

_THUMP!_

_1...2...3..4-_

_THUMP!_

John opened his eyes and continued to listen what was taking place outside his cell. He counted the seconds that ticked by until he heard the expected 'thump' of a footstep that slowly made its way through the cell block. The one he was following now had been the first one he'd heard in...god knows how long. However long ago the massacre had taken place, it had come to a grinding halt. The sounds of gunfire died long before the steps did. Which meant that everyone on base was already infected or dead. What remained now were the infected, roaming the halls in search of survivors and prey. Sooner or later they would come through his cell door and come for him. In honesty, John was half tempted to let it. He deserved it for failing.

Containing Chromosome 24 was his mission. To prevent it from infecting others and spreading beyond control. And what a fine job he'd done. He'd been so focused on Vera and Sam that he'd blinded himself to the sound of the chopper's rotor blades. And it cost him greatly. Both Vera and Sam were dead. Lost when Taylor's men launched the RPGs in Nevada. When he had come around, re was retrofitted with the restraints and subjected to unimaginable procedures. The doctors had cut him open, literally, while conscious just to observe his healing factor. They injected poisons and toxins into his body and watched the chromosome counteract them. Then the bastards did the worst thing of all, they took a blood sample and copied the chromosome. all hell broke loose from then on out. john had heard the chaos from his cell. he'd listened to the massacre while every fiber of his body told him to fight back, but the hole where his heart had once been held him back. What was the point of going on now? He had failed.

John looked down at his restraints. Retrofitted electric cuffs. If the prisoner pulled hard enough, a surge of electricity was sent through the body. What made them lethal was the fact that the body would never adjust to the pain to escape. The device was fitted to alter its effects through the body with each escape attempt until the prisoner gave up or died. They didn't do much to restrain him, John simply didn't feel the need to fight back anymore. The restraints were tethered to the wall where his bunk was. The tether could retract and extend for the prisoners range of motion, but it wasn't much. The cell was no bigger than the one from the Congo.

John leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Why did everything seem to fall back to her? Every mission he thought of kept reminding him of Vera, and ultimately her death. her could still feel her blood between his fingers. he could still hear the final beats of her heart ringing through his ears. Then there as Sam. She hadn't seen it coming, lucky for her. That hummer shrapnel injury had been instantly fatal, she never felt anything. But there was no way to erase the memory of that glazed look on her face; his _sister's face_. John cringed at the memory and started to beat his head against the wall behind him. What was the point?

THUMP!

What was the point?

THUMP!

What was the point?

THUMP!

What was the damn point?

THUMP!

What was the fucking point anymore?

BANG! BANG! BANG!

John's eyes snapped open, shifting toward his cell door. He watched the door closely. The Imp had most likely heard his head bashing and realized there was someone still left alive. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Maybe he'd fight back, maybe he'd let it kill him. How long would it take to kill him anyways? If his cells divide fifty times faster, it could take a while.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

TAP. TAP. TAP.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

What the hell? John opened his eyes again and looked at the door. That wasn't a random series of noises outside made by Imps. Not a chance. It was too precise, to exact. An Imp would be clumsy and beat the door down within a few strikes. The was moors code. There was some alive outside that door. Someone alive!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

TAP. TAP. TAP.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Hey!" John called. He bolted from the bed, ripping the cuff tethers from the wall with ease. John glanced at the torn tethers, but couldn't care anymore. He moved to the door and pressed his ear near it. He could hear the faint rhythm of a live heartbeat-no two heart beats.

"This one!" he heard form the other side.

The door suddenly screeched in front of him. With the power offline station wide, none of the cell doors would open even with access codes. But that didn't mean the doors couldn't be forced open from either side. John listened to the screeching on the opposite side of the door. Whoever was out there was trying to pry it open. John placed his hands on the door and pushed it toward the far wall. The metal door slowly opened up, filling the hall and cell with the piercing metallic sound of it opening. As it opened, a large rod slipped through the small gap. John slipped his fingers through the gap and used it as leverage to pull it opened completely.

The door slid open and John was greeted with the bright light from a handheld flashlight. It took all but three seconds for John's eyes to adjust to the light. He looked past his and found himself seeing a familiar face he hadn't seen in nearly three years. The Chinese business attire had been replaced by traditional marine uniform, though his was covered in black blood. His black hair had been cut since last John had seen him, but there was no mistaking the Intelligence officer.

"Stijn." John said.

Stijn smirked. "Grimm." he turned down the hall. "He's over here!"

John look down the hall. His eyes instantly fell on the figure of a familiar blond. "Sam!" He sprinted past Stijn toward his sister.

Sam sighed with relief and opened her arms, holding her brother tightly. She felt his arms encircle her, holding her just as tight as he could.

"I thought you were dead." he whispered.

"So did I." she answered.

John released her and quickly looked his sister over. She was there, flesh and blood, and alive in front of him. She wore marine issued training sweats that were too big for her, making her appear smaller. Yet she stood tall. Her blonde hair was pulled behind her head, but a few strands hung loose around her face. "How did-?"

Sam shrugged. "The canister was in my hand when they fired at us. I must've broken it before I died and C24..." her sentence died away. She had died. And C24 brought her back.

"Good thing too." Stijn said, joining the siblings. "After the choppers cleared out with your body, they figured to leave Sam behind. Wasn't much left of her, so they said."

John turned to Stijn. "You went to Olduvai?"

Stijn nodded. "I got word that something went down out there. Something unsanctioned by the military. Clean up crews were sent out and recovered you and whatever the those things were. I followed up **after** they'd taken you back to base and found Sam wondering around...still regenerating."

"He brought me to the base to find you." Sam finished.

John stared at Stijn. "Taylor sanctioned the mission."

"Sam informed me of what went down" Stijn replied. He paused for a moment. "Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen what was left of him."

John looked at the blood on the floor. He picked up an M16 from one of the fallen soldiers. "And more by the looks of it."

Again, Stijn nodded. "There's more."

"Oh you mean besides this shit got out?" John asked.

"It spread world wide."

John closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "It was bound to do that, but that takes time. Weeks, not hours or days."

Stijn spoke slowly. "They brought you back to base six weeks ago."

John's head snapped up. Six weeks? He'd been locked up inside the base for six weeks? Gone through this new version of hell for six weeks. "You're bullshitting me."

Sam shook her head. "No. John, we watched it spread. It was the only way to get to the base."

John could hear the building guilt in Sam's voice. He knew she blamed herself for the spread. hell, maybe he even blamed her a little. After all, she had been part of the Olduvinian team, but she had tried to stop it just as he had. And they failed. now they needed to fix it. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

"Stay alive." Stijn answered. "We scavenge what weapons and food we can and get the hell out of here."

John nodded. "You got a transport?"

Stijn nodded. "Prepped."

John turned to Sam. "Wait for us at the transport. Don't argue."

Sam rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I'll hit the infirmary for meds and food." Stijn said.

"I'll hit the armory." John nodded.

Stijn turned and headed back down the cell block toward the hall. John and Sam moved opposite Stijn, toward the transport and armory. John took a side glance at his sister, taking in the oversized marine issued sweats she wore. As they jogged side by side, he couldn't help but picture Vera in her place, looking just as Sam did in the oversized outfit. A pang of hurt hit him in the chest.

"Sam, was there anyone left on Olduvai?" he asked.

Sam looked to her brother and stopped. She knew exactly what he was and wasn't asking. Sadly she shook her head. "No. Vera wasn't there when I woke up."

John frowned. "She wasn't there?"

Sam shook her head again, but slower. She realized what he was saying. "No." Vera wasn't on the site when she'd woken up at all. If she had been, Stijn would've found them both. If Vera wasn't on the site that meant that the soldier's had taken her during the clean up.

"That means they picked her up with me-"

"If she's alive then-"

"She's on the base somewhere." John finished.

A familiar, earsplitting, bone breaking shriek, echoed through the hall. Both John and Sam turned toward the sound. Mere seconds after it began, both could hear a second scream within it, Stijn's scream! John sprinted back down the hall after Stijn, leaving Sam behind. his thundering steps were drowned out by the Imp's sonic scream. Adrenaline flooded John's veins as he rushed to Stijn. John sprinted back through the cell block, past his empty cell.

He rounded the corner, following the scream. Stijn was on the floor, covering his ears. The Imp stood fifteen feet from Stijn and was growing closer with each passing second. The closer it grew to Stijn, the more damage it would do until the scream liquefied the man from the inside out. Stijn's face was scrunched in excruciating pain, trying to block out the imp's shriek. The Imp was too preoccupied with Stijn's agonized state, that it didn't notice John until it was too late. The action came from years of repetition. The gun moved with ease in his grasp. John lifted the scope into his sight and took aim. The pull of the trigger was second nature to him. The Imp's head exploded the instant the bullet struck. The scream was silence instantly as bone and brain matter painted the floor and walls. The Imp's body collapsed onto the ground with an echoing 'thud' and landed just a few feet from Stijn's form. John frowned, he'd never seen an Imp's head explode from a traditional M16 bullet. John lowered his gun and looked to Stijn, when he froze at the sight in front of him.

Not twenty feet from Stijn stood his white haired devil in disguised angel. She was wearing medical scrub pants and a pilfered sweatshirt. Weapons hung against her hips and another was held in her firm grasp. She stood, talking with Stijn, completely unaware of his presence.

"Vera!" he called before he realized.

Violet-brown slit eyes met his. "John?"

John took a slow, cautious step toward her. "You're-"

"How the hell are you alive?" Stijn asked, breaking their contact. "Last word was you died on your transport seven weeks ago."

Vera frowned. "What?"

Another shrieked echoed down the hall.

"Time to go." John ordered.

They turned and retreated back down the hall toward the transport.

* * *

see I haven't forgotten yet! don't worry, the next chapters almost done, but it is shorter.


	3. Retreat

Sam was in the transport hanger, waiting for them to return. In truth, it was completely ridiculous to wait. With C 24 flooding her system, the Imp's couldn't do much to her, but Sam knew her brother's concern would never diminish no matter what happened. So she decided to accept her brothers order and wait, but it was not easy. The hanger was empty of Imp's, but not supplies. The moment she entered, Sam began scavenging everything she could find from weapons to medical supplies, even radios, and loaded them into Stijn's transport. She carried a crate of MRE's from one of the supply trucks when John, Stijn, and Vera burst into the hanger.

"Sam lets go!" John ordered.

Sam sprinted to the truck and loaded the crate inside. Stijn climbed into the drivers seat and started the engine. John and Vera climbed into the back. Sam sprinted around to the front. A chorus of Imp shrieks echoed through the hanger as Sam climbed inside. Stijn threw the truck into gear and stepped on the gas. The tires squealed for a moment before tearing out into the open. The vehicle ripped across the tarmac toward the gate. the second it was visible, dozens of imps and infected swarmed toward it, but the trucks speed quickly outran them. All around the base, the destruction was unimaginable. Small fires lit up the night sky. Destroyed vehicles were scattered across the base. Infected Imps and Hell Knights wandered the base, searching for their next victim. Stijn weaved around Imps and debris.

Sam turned back in her seat and looked to Vera. "Glad to see you're alive."

"Not that easy to kill." Vera replied.

"What do you know?" Sam asked.

"That I've spent the last six weeks in a cold tin box." she answered.

Sam frowned. "That doesn't make sense you should have-"

"Look, I'm not about to get into the regeneration attributes debate with you right-" The window beside Vera exploded. An infected man clung to the side of the truck. His face dripped with blood and flesh stuck between his bloodied teeth. He grabbed Vera's throat and shrieked, spraying blood over her face.

John lifted his rifle and fired. The bullet grazed over Vera's cheek, running through the remaining scars weeks ago, before slicing through the infected skull. The force of the bullet threw the infected to the ground, rolling in a broken mess of tangled limbs. John looked back at Vera. He watched as the cut from the bullet healed instantly as she wiped the blood from her face.

"Cutting it a little close." she said.

"Sorry." John leaned toward the front of the vehicle. "So where to now?"

"We find a safe place." Stijn answered.

Vera leaned in. "If the entire world's infected, what is considered safe?"

Sam turned back toward John. "The cabin?"

John shook his head. "It's remote, but that's change."

"We need someplace that is hard for them to find." Vera stated.

"Easily defendable." Stijn added.

Sam sucked on her bottom lip. There was only one place that came to her mind. It was difficult to reach for anyone. Impossible if no one knew where to look for it. For an Imp or Knight that had limited brain capacity, it would be impossible. "Olduvai."

John and Vera turned to Sam. "What?"

Sam met they're gaze. "Olduvai. It's remote, easily defendable, impossible to find."

"Sam, are you out of your-"

"Do you have a better idea?" Sam demanded. "Look around, John. We don't have many options."

John looked out his window. He took in all the destruction on the base. How bad was it beyond the base? He dropped his gaze in defeat. What choice did they have?

"So where are we going?" Stijn asked?

John swallowed. "Olduvai."

* * *

The truck pulled up the road to the Olduvai facility nearly six hours later. The sun was beginning to rise over in the east. The tire screeched as they skid to a stop, kicking up the loose desert dirt into the air. Stijn killed the engine and climbed out. Sam quickly followed suit and ran to the back of the truck. The two quickly stared piling supplies into the survival packs Sam picked up in the transport hanger. John and Vera exited the truck slowly. Both stared horrified over the cliff. Vegas was a little over a hundred miles southeast of their position, but it wasn't far enough the hide the clouds of smoke filling the air. Nor could they erase the images they'd seen on the drive. Never had they ever imagined destruction at this magnitude. They knew it was possible if the infection ever hit populated areas, but seeing it in real life...there were no words for it.

"Lets move!" Stijn ordered. He carried one back on his back and another by the strap in his left hand.

John broke from his reverie first. He turned toward Stijn and followed. Stijn tossed John one of the packs. They sprinted across the desert toward the surface elevator. A familiar rumble echoed around them. The surface split in two as the metallic shaft lifted into view. Despite an ST going off in the shaft, John wasn't surprised to see the elevator working. The elevator doors opened in front of them. The walls were still riddled with bullet holes and covered in blood. John felt a chill as he stared at the box. Stijn and Sam stepped in first. John paused only a second before following them. He turned and realized that Vera was still outside.

"Vera!" he called.

"What the hell is she doing?" Stijn asked

John jogged out toward her. She still stood by the truck, staring out at the horizon. John grabbed her arm. "Come on."

"_Eto vse prochlo."_ She said, following him toward the elevator.

"What?" John asked.

_"Vse."_ she answered. _"Eto vse proshlo."_

John looked over his shoulder at her, pausing his step. Her eyes were filled with a kind of terror he hadn't seen since Russia. Her hand latched onto his arm, trembling. Tears filled her eyes. She was scared. She was scared for everyone out in that hell hole. And there wasn't anything she could to help them...not yet anyways. John tightened his grip on her and nodded slowly. "Yeah. But it won't stay this way." He stepped toward the elevator with Vera in tow. It wouldn't stay this way. It wouldn't. They would be back someday and take back the planet. But it wouldn't be today.

* * *

yay! three chapters!

translations (have you missed these?)

It's all gone _Eto vse proshlo_

Everything _Vse._


	4. 9 Months Later

_The world had gone to hell. They spread like wildfire across the land, spreading the infection and slaughtering anyone they came in contact with. The cities were lost within days that followed the breakout. From there, they spread to the countryside, until every inch of the continent had been contaminated. From the US, it spread across the world. For every infected killed, dozens more took the place of the one lost. What uninfected that managed to survive took to hiding. No place was solely safe from the infection. All that remained of the old world were decrepit remains of buildings. The elements returned at full force, taking out more evidence of humanity with each passing week. And John could do nothing but watch it happen._

_John stood atop one of the remaining buildings, frozen. His entire body wouldn't respond to any order, matter how desperate he wasn't- needed- to move. he stood completely still, watching in horror as Vera bled out in front of him. She lay on the rooftop, her trembling hands covering the massive wound in her chest. Her ribs were exposed from the wound, looking as though they'd been pushed out from the inside. What was more terrifying of the matter, Vera wasn't healing. Blood continued to seep between her fingers and pool around her body on the rooftop. Her head turned toward him. Claw marks marred her entire face, from one end to another. Thick, jagged claw marks...it barely left anything recognizable of her. Her severed lips parted and trembled._

_"H-h-h-he-el-lp...m-m-m-m-me-e-e..." she gasped. Blood rolled from the corners of her lips._

John jerked awake, inhaling deeply. He took a few deep breaths as reality began to set in. John rubbed his eyes and shook his head. Those damn dreams were becoming more frequent. Nearly every night for the past three months, John had woken from a nightmare where he was forced to watch Vera die in front of him. Always the same way. Always unable to stop it or help her. And each time, he never saw what it was that attacked her. At first, he thought it was just his stressed mind adjusting to C24, and then the infection spreading. Now...he wasn't so sure. Everything was vivid, like he was living in the moment of each death. He could taste the stale, dirt filled air, hear Vera's failing heartbeat, smell her blood, feel the roof beneath his boots. Were they just vivid dreams or was there more behind them? John heaved another sigh and stood up. He stepped near the rooftop edge and looked out at the remains of down-town LA.

Since the infection had spread, John had taken up the task of hunting down the infected and search for survivors. His first task came easier, the infected were everywhere. Every night, the screams of those discovered by the infected filled the air. They screamed for rescue, for mercy, for death. For some, John could make it in time. Others, he could only grant them a quick death. It was all he could do for them after he failed his mission. There was just no way to save them all, no matter how hard he tried. Thankfully, he wasn't the only scouting party out in the states.

After spending several days on Olduvai, Sam, Stijn, Vera, and he decided they had to act. Sam and Stijn offered to stay at the facility while Vera and John scouted for supplies and survivors. It was slow going at first, but as the days past, they brought more and more people. That, in turn, meant more supplies needed, which lead to longer supply runs for numerous teams. When the supplies were so high in demand, Vera and John offered to stay on Earth. They'd gather what they could and leave it at a site for aerial pick up. Saved everyone time and limited resources. Still, it wasn't much of an afterlife for the survivors. Many had lost entire families or much more.

John leaned over the edge of the rooftop, scouting the road. He carried a Barrette M98B sniper rifle with custom silencer. With so much hunting on his hands, he found himself modifying his weapons every chance he could. He would take rooftops by night, and pick off infected Imps without the risk of his weapon being heard. John stared down the scope of his rifle. He zoomed in on the ground, waiting for the Imp cross his scope. He held the rifle tight against his shoulder. His finger as steady against the trigger, ready to pull. Slowly, the Imp walked into his scope sight. John pulled the trigger without hesitation. The Imp's head jerked as the bullet ripped through its deformed skull. Its body collapsed into a mutilated heap on the city street. The black blood poured onto the street, adding to the blood stained on the ground. He pulled his hand from the trigger and cocked another round into his rifle. John watched through the scope for a moment, waiting in case any nearby Imp's or Knights had seen its death.

A deep growl rumbled behind him. John closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. Not two seconds later, a massive deformed claw lashed out at John. It ripped the rifle out of his grasp with ease. John quickly braced himself for the Imp's next swipe. The Imp slammed its second deformed hand into John's arms. The force sent him teetering backward over the edge of the roof. He had a split second to grab into something before he fell to his death. His hand grasped the edge of the building as he fell, ceasing his fall. He hung from the building hundreds of feet in the air. He exhaled deeply in relief, the fall couldn't kill him, but it would certainly hurt like hell. John looked up at the building. The Imp's head loomed over the edge. Its jagged teeth bared as it growled at him. The Imp's claw appeared over the edge. John swung his body as the Imp lashed out for him. The claw cut into the edge of the building, where John had been just second before. John reached his other hand back on the edge and started climbing from the Imp. He pressed his foot against the building side and launched himself back onto the roof. John managed to rise partially before the Imp swept its massive arm, knocking John back. John hit the ground and rolled to an uneasy stop. He lay on his back, looking up at the slowly brightening sky. As John tried to rise, the Imp's hand came down on John's chest. Its grip was incredible around him. He struggled against the Imp's grip, but he couldn't free himself from its grasp.

Suddenly a short burst of gunfire collided with the Imp's back. The Imp screeched in pain and rose from John. It spun around quickly, searching for the source. John quickly rolled from the Imp's reach while it was distracted. Another burst of gunfire on the Imp caught John's attention. His hearing quickly detected the source of the gunfire. Across the roof, on the roof of the built in emergency stairs to the roof, stood a dark figure. The muzzle flashes of the gunshots were the only source of light, the only indication that someone was still there. With one final shot, John heard the Imp scream in one final burst as it collapsed dead. The seconds that followed the Imp's death were eerily quiet.

"So what have we learned this morning?" asked a thick accented voice full of false sweetness.

John sighed heavily and stood. He turned toward the voice. Vera stepped toward him, holding his gaze. Her facial scars from the Imps were nothing more than faint lines. The infection from her secret mission had been healed with C24, but her scars were already set into place. She'd mentioned that it was for the best, so she could have a physical reminder of what the creatures were capable of. Her white hair had grown longer in the nine months since the initial spread. Unbound and loose, it could reach her waist, which was the reason why she kept it bound in thousands of braids. She wore a tight, black tank with a shoulder holster and crop vest. John noted the small 9mm in the holster. From her hips down, her slender figure was hidden around baggy black pants. Several pockets lined the sides of her legs and possibly on the back of her body. They had been meant for a man, but Vera was never a picky one with clothing. It if fit, it would work for her. Vera had her pants held up by a second hip holster and thigh holster on her right side. Her shoes, like her entire ensemble, were black. One of Vera's hands were positioned on her hip, while the other held the strap of a Saiga semi-automatic rifle. Her hands were covered in black fingerless gloves. Vera stood in front of John, still holding the same dangerous gaze she kept when she was pissed at him.

"Well?" she pressed. "Care to explain why I spent the past three days search all of LA for you?"

John shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I didn't need you to come after me."

Vera snorted humorlessly. "Right, because partners **always** ditch each other and go off on their own."

John walked past her. "I said I'd meet up with you."

"Yeah, except you're three days past your date." she replied.

John turned and looked at her. "Three days late?"

"Yes." Vera answered shortly.

Had the days truly blended in so much that he'd failed to check in with her? How long was it when he last remembered the actual day? No wonder she was pissed. "Vera...I didn't...I didn't know."

"You're supposed to know this shit, John." Vera snapped. "When you don't show, what am I supposed to think?"

"Hey." John stepped toward her and gently took hold of her shoulders. "I never meant to miss the rendezvous. I swear I didn't."

Vera took a deep breath, but said nothing.

"I'm going to have to try and convince you, huh?" John asked.

Vera leaned toward him. "What do you think?" She pushed his hands from her arms and stalked away from him.

"Vera-"

A roar filled the air, shifting their attention from their argument.

"Shit. They heard your gunfire." John said.

"We gotta move." Vera said. She jogged from John back toward her position on the roof.

John followed behind her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Watch and see." She answered. She slung her rifle around her back and hopped up, grabbing the edge of the roof. She hauled herself up with ease.

John stood below and waited. His reply came back in the form of a duffle bag being thrown at him. He felt the shape of several rifles and shotguns through the duffle bags fabric. Vera hopped back down several feet beside John. Another roar erupted into the air. Vera snapped her rifle into position. John dropped the duffle bag and pulled out one of the weapons Vera was carrying within it. He gripped the M16 tightly, listening. The roar seemed to be coming from all around them, growing closer. Vera heard a louder source to her left. She slowly turned her head toward the direction. She quietly stepped to the left, toward the corner of the building. She eased her head to the corner and glanced down. Her eyes instantly caught sight of an Imp climbing up the building, no less than five feet below.

The Imp launched itself up the wall, just as John had moments ago, and landed in front of Vera. The force sent Vera staggering backwards. Her back hit the stairwell cover, stopping her from going any further. The Imp shrieked and slashed at her. Vera dove to the ground and rolled from its reach. The Imp's claws raked across the building, leaving large gashes in the side. Both John and Vera fired a single shot into the Imp's head. The two bullets entered its skull at two different side and dissected the Imp's brain in a matter of seconds. The back of its skull exploded from the extra force, sending the Imp flailing over the buildings edge.

"Get down!" Vera yelled.

John didn't waste a second. He dove for the ground, rolling onto his back in the process. As he rolled, he caught sight of the Imp that had tried to sneak up on him. John pulled the trigger and took out the Imp before he stopped rolling. Seconds later another Imp charged them. Both John and Vera quickly opened fire. The imp collapsed with the other dead Imps on the roof.

"They're swarming us." Vera said. She opened fire on another charging Imp.

John spotted another Imp coming from around the small building. He took it out with one shot. Vera was right; the Imp's were swarming them. At the rate they were charging. Vera and John would empty their clips without a chance to reload. They would be forced to deal with them hand to hand.

"Hold 'em off. I have an idea." Vera said. She quickly stopped firing and grabbed the duffle bag.

John turned his attention to the charging Imp's. He aimed dead on at their skulls, taking them out instantly, but they kept coming. They climbed over the corpses of the fallen Imp's, slowing them down slightly. Long enough for John to perfect his head shot. Others thought, leapt over the fallen Imp's, landing several feet from John. John quickly took out the Imp. He pulled the trigger again to find an empty clip.

"Shit." John muttered.

"Time to move, John!" Vera ordered.

John quickly stood. Vera tossed him a full loaded weapon. John quickly flipped the safety and opened fire. Vera fired with one hand. Her right held something John could see.

"Grab the bag!" Vera called, picking up his Beretta.

John grabbed the duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. They continued to fire at the charging Imps. As they fired, they eased their steps back toward the edge of the building. It wasn't long before John felt the edge with his foot. He took a split second glance down. They were several hundred feet above the street.

"Any more bright ideas?" John asked.

"Cable by your foot." Vera answered.

John took another look at his feet. There was a thick cable behind him, as Vera had said. "What the hell-"

"Just trust me." Vera snapped. "Go now!"

John ceased firing and slung his rifle around his shoulder with the bag. He picked up the cable and eased himself over the edge. He scaled down the side of the building. He glanced up and saw Vera scaling down above him. Whatever she'd done, she'd done it while he was climbing down. They scaled down fast, already halfway down the building side. The Imps still above them, roaring furiously.

Suddenly the cable jerked beneath them. John looked up just as the Imps claws snapped the rope. There was a moment of zero gravity before John fell to the earth. He hit fast and hard, the air knocked out of his body. The sound of his bones breaking on impact echoed through his ears. His entire body burned with pain, but C-24 quickly mended his battered body within seconds. John opened his eyes and watched as Vera hit the ground several feet from him. He heard the bone shattering impact and watched as her bones mended at a slightly slower rate than his own. He pushed himself upright and moved toward her.

"You okay?" he asked.

Vera cringed as she sat up. "That never gets any better."

Before he could say anything more, an earth-shattering explosion erupted. The building exploded above them in a rush of ruble and dust. John threw himself over Vera as the ruble shot out from the force of the explosion. The earth shook from the explosion, sending the buildings around them into tremors. John and Vera were pelted with chucks of concrete, steal, and glass. The explosion shook them to the core. Their ears rang from the proximity of the explosion. Seconds after the explosion erupted, silence was all that lingered. John opened his eyes and looked at the remains of the building. There was nothing left of the building's roof. A large, gaping hole, several stories deep was all that remained.

John released Vera. Dust and debris clouded her hair and face. He stood slowly, bringing her up with him. "You used a V5 didn't you?"

"Hell yes." she answered, looking up.

"Nice." John commented. V5's were his own personal brand of ST grenades. Five times the power, at a slightly different destructive ratio.

Vera grabbed his arm. "We need to keep moving."

Vera led the way off the main street. They took the alleys through the city, several blocks from where they'd been. Vera led them to an underground parking garage. The dove into the darkness at Vera's lead. Weapons were draw, their senses on high alert. John followed her to the armored pick up they'd been using for the past nine months. Vera ran to the drivers side and opened the door. John opened the passenger door and tossed the duffle into the back. He climbed in next and slammed the door shut. Vera reached beneath her seat and pulled out the keys. The engine roared to life. The truck had once been Stijn's. Most vehicles now were too damaged to even bother repairing. Vera stepped on the gas and shot out of the parking garage. She drove through the streets at high speeds, running over any Imp's that were too slow to get out of her way. Black blood smeared on the windows, but Vera kept driving.

"Where to?" John asked.

"Base." she answered.

John looked at her. "What?"

Vera nodded. "Three days ago, Olduvai sent out a broadcast. They're recalling every team back."

"They say why?" John asked.

"No. Just said to return to base for new information." she explained.

John frowned. What could be so important to recall every team? Guess he had a good six hours before he new the answer.

* * *

I should probably explain that the rest of the story takes place on Olduvai now. Now...onward toward destruction...wait what?


	5. Sanctuary

The sun had reached the midday hours by the time they pulled up to Papoose Lake in Nevada. The area surrounding the facility looked the same as it had nine months ago. Nothing was seen fro miles inside the desert. Vera pulled the truck up and reached for the radio.

"Scouting Party One, requesting entrance."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then John felt the desert move beneath the truck. Vera lowered the radio and eased herself back into her seat. The earth parted, allowing the service elevator to rise from within the earth. Its metallic walls glistened in the Nevada sunlight. Vera winced and lowered the visor. John chuckled.

"Shut up." she muttered. "May not go blind, but that glare is still annoying as hell."

"Scout One, you are clear to enter. Welcome back."

Vera stepped on the gas and drove the truck into the elevator. The truck easily fit into the elevator and still had room for them to climb out and move around. The elevator doors closed behind them. Vera and John climbed out of the truck. Vera grabbed her small pack and slung it over her shoulder. John left the weapons bag in the bag, but pulled his personal pack from the back and strung it over his shoulder. He looked up as the elevator dropped from the surface into the pits of the facility. It took only seconds to reach the last floor. The door opened in front of them, revealing the entrance hall to the Earth facility. Several guards stood posted around the elevator.

"Well look who finally showed up." came a familiar voice. Stijn stepped into sight. He wore black military clothes, just as John and Vera did. Even out of the corps, it still reign most of their apparel choices. His shirt was a three-quarter sleeved black shirt. A white vest hung open. His dark hair now covered his eyes and was constantly being pushed back. He smirked and walked toward them.

"Stijn." John smiled. He shook the man's hand. Stijn had taken command of the station with Vera and John out scavenging the west cost with seven other crews. He was the one man John could trust to watch over Sam. He was also one of the first Sam injected C24 with to counteract the diminished population and improve their resilience on Olduvai.

"Good to see you John." Stijn said. He looked to Vera. "And you brought our favorite Russian."

Vera smirked and patted Stijn's arm. "You're full of shit, Stijn."

Stijn shrugged. "I try."

"How's Sam?" John asked.

Stijn chuckled. "You know your sister. Always working."

"Does it have anything to do with the recall?" Vera asked.

Stijn took a deep breath, but didn't answer immediately. "You're guess is as good as mine. I had no idea there was a recall until the broadcast."

John frowned. "That's weird, even for Sam."

"You know, that's not helping my anxiety here." Stijn replied.

"Your screwing his sister," Vera stated. "Do you honestly think that was his goal?"

John shook his head. This was not the turn in the conversation he wanted it to take. "Alright, let's get moving before I'm scarred for life." He headed down the hall toward the ARC.

Vera chuckled and followed him. "So what's happened since-"

"Since your last check in four months ago?" Stijn finished. "Quite a bit actually."

"Really?" John asked.

Stijn nodded. "Refugee count is up to four hundred."

"What?" Vera asked, looking over at Stijn. "Last count barely hit seventy-three."

"How can the facility hold that many?" John asked.

"We've been expanding the facility to house them all." Stijn explained. "It's worked really well. They've got a horticultural lab where they grow their own food now. There's a lot of shit going on up there. You won't even recognize it."

"Thank god." Vera muttered.

John nodded in agreement.

They reached the ARC chamber. Everything had been restored to its previous condition. The wide room glistened as it had in the early hours of his last mission with RRTS. The air was pure and untainted by the foul surface. Several people roamed the halls, guards serving their post. John didn't recognize any of them, but he was glad to see that some people had escaped the slaughter.

John turned to Vera. "Ladies first?"

Vera met his challenge. She walked toward the center of the chamber. She turned back and faced John. "You still owe me." She took a step back and disappeared.

"Oh yeah, definitely missed her." Stijn said.

John chuckled and stepped onto the platform. "Trust me, if you had to spend nine months with her, you'd never survive another woman in your life, Stijn."

* * *

John rematerialized on the Mars facility seconds later. He'd almost expected to feel disoriented or sick to his stomach, but that wasn't the case this time. Not since C24. He spotted Vera standing off the pad to his right. John climbed down off the pad as Stijn came out right behind him. Stijn practically bounced from the pad to their side.

"Why're you so...giddy?" Vera asked.

Stijn smirked. "Just wanna see your face when you see the change."

Vera looked around the chamber. "Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed. Nothing's changed."

Stijn chuckled. "Hold that thought Vera." He turned to the door and pressed the release.

The door hissed and rolled open. John and Vera walked toward the door and watched it roll away. What they saw left them...stunned.

"_Der'mo."_ Vera gasped.

"Are you shitting me?" John asked.

Quiet a bit of change, didn't measure up to what they saw. The entire complex seemed to have been changed into a domed metropolis. A massive transparent dome structure surrounded the city, rising several hundred feet into space. Stijn stepped out first. John and Vera slowly followed behind him. The once metal hallways had been replaced with open pathways. Stijn lead them to the atrium, which now seemed to have been converted into a community gathering place. Small tables and benches lay spread about the area. Living trees and grass grew from within the ground, providing a resemblance to normalcy. There were dozens of children running around, playing in the grass, even dogs and cat. There were several large structures ahead of them, the labs most likely. Their exterior appearance resembled much of their previous structural appearance, save for the transparency strength was next to nothing. The outer space hell had seemingly become an out of this world sanctuary.

"So, what do you think?" Stijn asked.

Vera shook her head. "I'm speechless."

"There's first." Stijn muttered.

Vera smirked and lightly punch his arm.

"This is incredible." John said. "How'd you-"

"A lot of work, and a lot of hands." came a voice.

John and Vera turned to their left. Sam was walking down the path toward them. Her long blond hair was pulled back in its traditional pony, but several loose strands hung freely around her face. She wore a dark grey V-neck sweater beneath a white cardigan. Her dark tan cargo pants hung loose around her hips. Her black combat boots thunked with each step. But despite her uncharacteristic style, John could hardly car beyond the bright, warm smile he saw on his sister's face. He moved to meet her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're okay." she said.

John chuckled, slowly letting her go. "Not that easy to kill."

"Now where have I heard that before?" Vera asked, joining the siblings.

Sam smiled and hugged Vera. "You guys look-"

"Like shit?" Stijn offered.

"Like hell?" John replied.

"Beat." Sam corrected, releasing Vera. "Let's get you two settled." She lead them down the path. She swallowed nervously. "How bad is it?"

"Still shit city." Vera answered.

Sam nodded slowly.

"So what's the recall?" John asked.

Sam's eyes visibly brightened. "You'll see tomorrow morning. We're still waiting for the East Coast and Canadian crews to return. Funny enough, they should be an hour behind our last remaining West Coast crew." She eyed John.

Vera smirked. "We're back for five minutes and she's already letting you have it."

Stijn chuckled.

John pushed Vera forward, stating her toward one of the compounds. "So, pretty impressive setup you got now."

Sam nodded. "You could say that. After the first crew of refugees, we realized that the facility would never hold them all. So Stijn thought of the dome. Drew out everything and set the crews to work The dome was actually the first project. Hard to believe it only took a month. Everything else just fell into place after that."

Vera turned to Stijn. "Good to know the Intelligence wasn't just for spying."

Stijn chuckled. "Sam's being a little too praising. I only suggested the design."

"**And** started the construction by himself." Sam pointed.

Stijn's cheeks blushed. "We're still working on the heating and cooling system."

"That explains the temperature." Vera muttered. "I'm so used to LA's heat I forgot how cold space was."

Sam pulled off her cardigan. "It's the first thing everyone notices."

"You're from Russia and this bothers you?" John asked, arching a brow.

Vera glared at him and slipped Sam's cardigan over her bare arms. "How did you get so much done in one month?"

Sam paused. "C24."

Vera nodded and said nothing more. In truth, she should have known better than to ask. The answer was painfully obvious, but curiosity had gotten the better of her. "So how do you feed all these people? Where do they even sleep?"

"Well-"

Stijn jumped in. "We have six housing blocks. Each one holds about seventy-five refugees. The setups based off the apartment complex's. Each block has three levels and each level holds about five families. Each family has their own living section. Kind of like an apartment, but there's not much to them. Running water, power, and a place to sleep. Not place for cooking though. And for security, each block can be placed on lockdown."

"The foods regulated through the block kitchens. Each level goes through kitchen duty every week so the work is spread out." Sam finished.

"Civil." Vera muttered.

"Keeps them busy enough to try and forget why they came here." Stijn stated.

John nodded. It was impressive.

"What about food?" Vera asked. "With all these people you guys must go through a lot. And foods getting harder to find back on Earth."

Sam nodded. "You're right. It's one of our lesser items brought back from recon, but we've worked that out too."

"Just west of us, you'll see the mini-dome." Stijn pointed.

John and Vera followed Stijn's direction. West of them, they saw a smaller dome structure. Through the transparent walls, John could make out dark clouds inside.

"That's our agricultural dome. It's were we grow everything, but it's all grown at an accelerated rate." Stijn answered. "Get enough people working with C24 behind them and nothing's impossible."

John clenched his fist tightly. "Right."

Sam turned to Stijn. "Anguó, I can show them to their block, why don't you check in on east coast four and five?"

Stijn nodded. "Good idea. Oh, here!" He reached into his vest and pulled out two comm link pieces and their transmitters. "You might want your comms."

"Figured you two might want to keep in touch with everyone on rotation. Anguó and I both have ours on at all times. Both of us are on channel one." Sam explained.

"Security is channel two. Earth facility is three, kitchen's four, and agricultural is five." Stijn finished. "There's a few more, but they're not that important."

John and Vera both took their comms from Stijn. Vera slipped her into her pocket. Stijn nodded to them and headed back toward the Arc chamber.

"It's like nothing's happened." John muttered.

"Far from it." Sam answered. "He tries not to show. The refugees pick up on it easily, but he hates it here. All of us do. We just don't have anywhere else to go."

"So make it as homey as possible." Vera finished.

Sam nodded. "It's not much, but compared to Earth, this is paradise."

John snorted. "Built by the same compound that destroyed the Earth."

"I know you don't approve of administering C24 to the refugees." Sam stated. She looked up at her brother. "Believe me, it wasn't my first choice either, but we've finally hit ground with the research and the tests work. We now know who can and cannot be injected with it. And every refugee injected is one that won't be killed, and it's one more mind to help advance this place more. I'm working with what I have and what I know, John."

John sighed heavily. "I know. I know. You do what you can with what you have. Just like Vera and I." He paused for a moment. "You just managed to pull it off better. I don't like how you did it, but you did a good job keeping these people alive, Sam."

Sam gave him a small smile.

"So, where's our block?" he asked.

Sam jerked her head toward the closest block. "This way. We spread everyone just in case something goes wrong inside."

The block was fairly small for a unity to hold seventy-five people inside. They passed through the nanowall, into the block. To their immediate left was a staircase that lead up to the top floors. The walls were a dull grey, but hilariously decorated by children. Sam led them down the hall toward the last cell.

"We made sure that you two would be in the same unit. Stijn and I are just across the hall. You're clothes should be already inside. Get yourselves cleaned up and rested." Sam explained. She turned ot the wall and pressed the green button. The door slid open, revealing the interior of the unit. "If you guys need anything, just let me know. Unit meals in an hour. I'll see you then."

"Back to work?" Vera asked.

Sam nodded. "Always."

"Thanks Sam." John called.

Sam smiled and headed toward the entrance.

John turned to Vera. "Ladies first?"

Vera snorted and stepped inside. "Not bad."

John followed behind her and looked around. In truth, the barracks were smaller than the entire unit, but only by a foot give or take. The sleeping section was placed on the far side of the room, separated by a transparent wall. Across from it was the bathroom setup The living quarters were the first space in the room. A shelving unit was assembled on the back wall near a table and chair set up. Small cabinets lined the walls. All in all, it wasn't too bad.

Vera sighed and headed back toward the table. "You know, my first apartment was worse than this. Not a bad setup here."

John nodded and followed her. "They've done better than us."

Vera dropped her bag on the table and unclipped her holsters. She laid out her weapons on top of the table. "Least we're doing something. I'm gonna go clean myself up. God knows after nine months some of this shit's gotta come off." She stripped all her holsters onto the table and headed toward the back of the unit.

John said nothing at her departure. He didn't even acknowledge it, He simply stared at the floor, still thinking over the massive changes. The improvements were essential and incredibly impressive. But at the cost of introducing C24 to the survivors, was it all worth it? Yes, each injected refugee was one more hand to help and one less target with the infection, but how much longer could it last? How long could it last until one slip led to a massacre through this...sanctuary? They knew next to nothing about C24. There could still beside effects for himself and Vera...and Sam too. Why rely on the damn contagion that started this to end this?

"Hey, You alright?" Vera asked, appearing beside him.

"Yeah." John briefly met her gaze. "I thought you were taking a shower."

"I did." Vera watched him for a moment and shook her head. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Shut me out." she answered. He moved into his line of sight, looking up at him. "Don't say you're fine when I know you hate this. You hate being here, you hate Earth, and you hate what Sam is doing."

"She's playing with something we still don't understand." John snapped.

"She's doing what she's trained to do, John." Vera replied. "Sam's not like us. She's a scientist, not a soldier. She's trained to use her knowledge and tools on Olduvai. She works with cells and computers, we work with guns. That's why we stayed on Earth, remember. We're both trying to fix this the way we're trained to."

John rubbed his face. "There has to be another way."

"Well you've got the super brain, you tell me if there's a way." Vera stated.

John sighed heavily.

Vera gave a short nod. "That's what I thought. Look, we're not here forever. Just through the announcement tomorrow and we're back in Shit creek on earth. Deal?"

John nodded slowly.

"Good. Go shower, you stink." Vera ordered. She turned and headed toward the bed.

John followed behind and stopped short, finally taking the sight of Vera. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Vera turned around to face him. John couldn't help but let his eyes scan all of Vera's bare body. Well, mostly bare. The only clothing she had on were brown lace panties and a matching shade bra. In truth, he'd seen her in less recently, but it was not what he expected her to walk around in. And he was not expecting her to resemble the bombshell from Martinique. The Russian was far too alluring and distracting for her own good-and his too.

Vera looked down at her body. "Oh, apparently in a post-apocalyptic setting, a woman still has the right t sexy lingerie."

John chuckled.

Vera turned and walked to the bed. She lifted a black shirt from the bed and pulled it on over her body. The long sleeves reached past her wrist, but dipped below her shoulders. The fabric clung to her curves. Vera tugged the hem of the shirt, shifting it into its correct position. John stepped toward her, closing the distance step by step. He pulled his vest off and dropped it on the floor.

Vera looked up, hearing the vest drop. She caught the lustful gleam in John's gaze. "Not a chance."

"What, you taking on a vow of celibacy as vengeance against me?" he asked.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Vera answered. She grabbed her new pants off the bed.

"You're not gonna last five minutes." John replied.

Vera looked up at him, brow arched. "Why's that?"

John reached into his pocket and fished out a trinket. He held it by the silver chain and let it hang in front of Vera's face. John watched as all emotion vanished in seconds. "This is why." He whispered.

Vera drew a trembling hand toward the trinket. The bastard was holding a necklace-her necklace. The very same cross pendant that Goat had given to her before Olduvai. The same pendant that she'd left behind after escaping the morgue. "You...you went back..."

"For this." John finished. He took the chain in both hands and clasped the necklace around Vera's neck. "Happy Birthday."

Vera stared down at the pendant. The silver was cold against her skin, but its very presence warmed her to the core. She looked up at John, her vision blurred with tears. She reached up and pulled him toward her, pressing her lips against his. "Thank you."

John dipped his hands beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms, still holding the kiss. "So...when...does the...celibacy vow...end?"

"At...the...bed." Vera answered between kisses.

* * *

okay...not really sure what to say...

Oh! for those that were curious; Anguó is Stijn's first name. Thought it was necessary.


	6. Dangers of Memorials

_It was supposed to be a safe place to hide. A place where survivors could retreat to and live. It was never meant to e a tomb. But a tomb it was. A tomb of transparent cages and demons. John's heart thundered violently in his chest as he tried to free himself from the unseen force that held his body motionless. He stood in the atrium gardens, surrounded by the trees. Ten feet from him was a tree made entirely of metal. From the limbs hung metal leaves, resembling a willow tree. But his eyes remained on the base of the tree, where Vera lay in a bloodied heap. Her right arm lay lifelessly against the steps beneath her. Her white hair lay around her face, dyed in blood. Her face was severely lacerated with thick cuts that bled profusely. Her left hand lay against her chest, barely covering the gaping wound in her chest. John could see her protruding ribs from the wound._

_"Vera!" He called, but his voice never reached his ears. It was as if his voice was gone. He fought against the invisible hold over his body, but nothing seemed to work. He watched helplessly as the blood ran down the steps toward him._

_"J-j-j-o-o-o-oh-h-hn-n-n." she gasped with her last breath. John watched helplessly as her violet eyes grew blank._

"No!" John screamed, bolting upright in bed. Sweat rolled down his face and bare chest. His chest heaved, matching the hammering speed of his heart. He exhaled several times, tryignt o slow his heartrate, but ti was no use. his entire body trembled in terror. John wipped the sweat from his face and closed his eyes.

Another one. Another nightare, only it was different. Now Vera wasn't dying on Earth, but Olduvai. John took another deep breath, finally calming down...slightly. He opened his eyes and turned to his left. Vera lay beside him in bed, still fast asleep. She lay pn her left side, facing away from him. Her bare back lay exposed as the sheets dipped near her waist. John thanked God for Vera's gift of heavy sleep. Nothing but a nuke could wake her up, and for that John was severely greatful for tonight. He loved her dearly, but John didn't want her worrying about his nightmares; if they were nightmares.

John peeled the sheet from his body and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He walked to the built in cupboard and grabbed an armful of clothes, not caring what he grabbed, and moved to the bathroom. The cold floor beneath his feet helped clear his mind and wake him from his dream terror. The bathroom door slid open as he approached and closed behind him. John locked the door and dropped the clothes near the shower. Without a care for the water temperature, John turned on the water and steppped inside the shower. The cold water spraying from the shower felt like a godsend to his overheating body. It poured over every inch of his burning body, slowly relaxing him. He rubbed his face, cleaning away the sweat and dirt.

Images of his new nightmare flashed through his mind. John shook his head, trying to push them from his mind, but iti was nearly impossible. Not only had the dreams followed him from Earth, but they had also mutated into a new layout. Repadative dreams were always noted, but no dream altered as his had. John was more certain that theses dreams were something else. The way his body reacted to the dreams meant something more was with them. It was as if his entire body was aware of the dream; like it was preparing for something; like it was warning him. From what; he didn't know, but he couldn't keep this quiet any longer.

John shut off the water and reached out for the towel rack. He ran the towel over his body, drying himself adequately before dressing. He grabbed a clean black tank top and slid it over his bare chest. His hands trembled as they reached for the dark grey shirt. It wasn't until John picked up his third shirt that he realized his hands no longer shook from the nightmare, but the cold. He unlocked the door and stepped out of the bathroom. He picked his boots up off the floor and headed into the next room. John slipped his feet into his boots and tied them tight. He secured his holsters to his waist and grabbed his heavy jacket from his pack. It had been months since he'd last worn it, but it was damn cold in space. John turned to leave, but paused when his eyes fell on Vera's weapon stash. With the nightmare still pulsing through his mind, John picked up the closest gun and slid out the magazine. One by one, John checked the magazines and slapped them back into place.

John cast one last glance back in Vera's direction before leaving the unit. The hall was silent as John walked alone, his boots the only sound. He stepped out of the block, out into the open. There were fewer people out than he had initially seen. He suspected that most of the refugees kept to similar schedules that they had on Earth. With a heavy sigh, John slipped his hands into his coat pockets and started walking.

Without knowing the exact layout of the new facility, John let his feet take action. He didn't look up, letting his senses take over. Ever step, every turn was made on instinct. He could sense there was something pulling at his mind, leading him somewhere on the grounds. There. John came to a stop and looked at his surroundings. Thirty feet to his left was a building. Not a block building, or dome structure, but an original building left from the original facility structure. John slowly approached it, inspecting every inch. There was a smaller section built off the main building. He could hear a rhythmic humming from within. As he drew near, every sense in his body sent out a warning. Whatever was inside, his body knew it was dangerous. He slowly walked the perimeter and stopped short when he spotted the pressure door. It was the dig site.

"We sealed it off first." Sam said, joining him.

John stared at the door. His blood pounded in his ear. There was something inside, but the heavy walls prevented him from hearing it. "You sweep it before you sealed it?"

Sam shook her head. "No. We meat to, but every time we came to it...something felt wrong. Not many of us go near here. It feels-"

"Dangerous." John finished.

"Yeah." she answered. Sam looked up at her brother. "You feel it to, don't you."

John nodded, but said nothing.

"It's sealed, John." Sam said. "Nothing can get out."

"What's that?" he asked, motioning to the small structure beside the door.

"That's the air filtration system." she explained. "With four hundred plus refugees the CO2 levels get high. This is the main unit that filters everything from the atrium. The block have their own smaller units, but the main unit still feeds through."

John nodded.

"John, you alright?" Sam asked. "You look worse than yesterday."

John turned to face his sister for the first time that day. He shook his head. "It's this place. Rubs me the wrong way. After this announcement, or whatever you do today, Vera and I are out."

Sam frowned. "John, I know you hate this place, but-"

"You ever stop to wonder why, Sam?" John demanded. "Mom and dad were buried alive ten feet from us, inside that box you guys built. My friends were killed trying to salvage your bosses science project, seven innocent soldiers were killed for this place, and lets not forget that because of Carmack, a crazed General took out his men before using Vera to sharpen his claws. So yeah, you could say I hate this place." He turned from Sam and headed away from the dig site.

"Look around you, John. This isn't that place anymore." Sam replied. "This place has changed, you can see-"

"No, what I see is a glass jar teetering on the edge about to fall. One wrong move and everything ends. Just because you're not on Earth, doesn't mean this place can escape that kind of hell." John replied. "What I see here, Sam, is a poor attempt of hiding reality from theses people."

"We can't all be good little soldiers, John." Sam snapped back, her voice rising with anger. How dare he come off telling her what's what. "We're not soldiers bred and trained to kill on instinct. We can't pull the trigger and have our cares leave us when our targrt drops dead."

John leaned toward Sam. His voice dropped low. "It's never been that easy." He walked past her down the path.

Sam shook her head and snorted bitterly. "That's fine, just keep running from your problems. It's what you're good at. Guess that means I should make sure that Vera has plenty of clothes for her room." She turned toward John. "Cause God knows how much longer she'll stick around when you keep pushing her away."

John said nothing, not even making a remark about Stijn. But it was so very temping, it just wasn't worth it. He moved down the path, ignoring all his surroundings, and trying hard not to listen to Sam's words echoing through his head. _'Just keep running. Just keep running.'_ It wasn't that long ago that Goat was saying something similar, just after Vera had been shot. Goat had told him to go admit that he cared about her, and he wouldn't. He couldn't back then, with their job one of them could die at any point. Nowadays it wasn't much different anymore. The only difference was that it was nearly impossible to kill her. But that dream was telling him something different. And he keeping those dreams from Vera. So damnit it all, Sam was right again. He was running. Hell, he was good at it.

"I can smell the brain cells burning." came a sharp, accented voice.

John's head shot up quickly and his entire body reacted. He jumped from the voice, reaching for his pistol, until he realized that it was Vera. She stood just a few feet in front of him down the path. She was dressed in all black, from her boots to her arm warmers and leather coat. She still wore the off the shoulder shirt he'd taken off her body hours ago. Her dozens of braids had been removed, allowing the crimped curls to fly free around her face. Her eyes watched him carefully, taking in his suddenly reaction. John lowered his hand from his gun. "Dammit Vera. You trying to scare me to death?"

"Up until ten seconds ago, I would've said that wasn't possible." she replied, taking a step closer. "Now, I'm not so sure. What the hell was that?"

John sighed heavily. "That was this hell hole getting to my head."

Vera didn't seem to believe him, but for some reason or another, she let it go. Instead, she lifted her right hand, holding two small, foiled wrapped items. "Breakfast?"

"Thanks." John reached out and took the two wrapped items. He could feel the heat through the foil. He could smell the scent of eggs, bacon, and cheese on bread. He couldn't remember the last time he'd smelled, let alone eaten, something resembling real food. He unwrapped the food and took a large bite, nearly forgetting to savor his meal. "What about you?"

Vera shrugged. "I ate back at the block with Sam."

John slowed his chewing, but didn't say anything. They slowly continued their way down the path, moving toward nowhere in particular. John noticed Vera's distant look, nearly mirroring his before she'd found him. "You alright?"

Vera looked his way and for the first time in a few days, John really looked at her. Her skinned seemed a lot more pale than it had weeks ago. There were shadows around her eyes as if she hadn't slept. He couldn't recall ever waking up from her nightmares or ever recalling if she'd ever had any? Maybe she just couldn't sleep? She shook her head and sighed heavily. "Yeah, guess it's just this place getting in my head."

John unwrapped his second sandwich. "Soon as Sam's announcement is over, we're outta here."

Vera nodded. "gears already packed and waiting. Should've brought with me, now that i think about it. Would've saved us time."

John shrugged. "Oh well. No great loss."

Vera snorted and paused. She looked around the area. "What's that?"

John turned, following her gaze. He felt the last bit of food in his mouth turn to ash. In front of them was a slight hill, metal stairs leading up to the top, where a metal tree structure was situated. John swallowed with great difficulty, eying the tree intently. It was the same tree from his nightmare. He slowly took a step toward it, ignoring the blaring warnings from all his senses. He barely heard Vera following behind him. John climbed the seven steps to the tree. Just like his dream, the metal was shaped and bent to resemble a willow tree. thin sheets of metal hung from small chains, creating the branches and leaves of the tree. John slowly walked around the tree, taking in every detail of it. It was then he caught the writing on the leaves. He reached out and took hold of one of the leaves. Etched into the metal leaf was a name he didn't recognize.

"It's a memorial." Vera called. She looked down at the ground at the plaque. "for those who gave their life." She looked up and began walking around the tree. Her fingers ran through the leaves, reading the names, until she caught a different shaped leaf. "Oh my god."

John looked over. "What?"

"Roark Gannon." she answered.

John moved to her side. "Destroyer?" He took the leaf into his hand. He realized it was Destroyer's dog tags. John let the tag go and looked around the leaves, spying several more. One by one, John and Vera rifled through the tags.

"Mac."

"Duke."

"Portman."

"Kid."

"Skeet."

"Mathiss."

"Gale."

"Sky."

"Cal."

Vera turned the last tag near her. She swallowed back the tears. _Goat._ "Eric Phantom."

John found two tags hanging together. "Reaper and Mira."

Vera stepped away from the tree. "Funny, they put up a memorial, and the only people who really know these people are never around to see it." She headed for the steps and practically jumped them.

John turned to catch up with her, leaving the tags to dangle from the tree limbs. Those tags had once been their friends, their partners, their past. Jokes, games, drunken nights at bars, now reduced to cheap tags that dangled from a shitty memorial site for those who never knew the men and women who died for a corporation secret. In truth, John hadn't thought of the others in a while, it hurt too much. He never brought up old stories from the barracks, or pranks pulled, nothing to bring that feeling of loss. John paused partway down the stairs and looked back at the tree. From where he stood, he matched his position in his dream. Vera had been lying just beneath the tree, beneath their tags. He turned again and quickly retreated to Vera's side.

"Any chance we can get to the Arc before the announcement?" Vera asked.

John looked down at her. Her jaw was tense, along with most of her muscles. Her hands were clenched into fist's, turning her knuckles white. Sam's words started running through his head again. _'Just keep running.'_ He grabbed Vera's hand and turned toward their block units. "Let's find out."

"There you are!" John and Vera turned. Stijn came down the path behind them. "Sam's about to announce whatever she's planning. Every recon teams gathered at the pavilion to hear."

John shook his head. "Whatever Sam's planning, she doesn't need us here to do it. We're leaving."

Stijn frowned. "You two just got here. Now you're just gonna leave?"

"Some of us have a harder time coping with the new changes." Vera muttered. She nodded back toward the tree. "Nice memorial, by the way."

Stijn lowered his head. "I asked her not to put that up."

"Whatever." Vera said.

"Look, Sam won't care we've left early." John said. He turned back around, pulling Vera with him. "We'll keep in touch."

* * *

oh my gosh I am so sorry about this chapter. I'm trying to get to the good stuff, which should start happening after this chapter, I swear, but this chapter was just a pain to write. I'm sorry it's not better.


	7. The Cure

With recon teams at the pavilion for the announcement and the remaining refugees contained to their own blocks to hear, John and Vera made it to their block without incident. They gathered their gear without a word to one another, moving on instinct than thought. Vera removed her coat and shouldered her holsters, loading her weapons inside. She covered herself back with the coat and pulled her hair back once more. She grabbed the strap of her pack and heaved it over her shoulder. John followed suit, shouldering his bag, as Vera had done the packing before finding him. He checked each one of his weapons before holstering them all. Once everything was in order, they filed out of the unit without a second glance around.

They followed the trail back through the atrium gardens. John cast a final glance near the air filtration unit. His senses heightened as he stared at the building, but whatever was in there, it wasn't his problem anymore. Five more minutes, and he'd never have to step back on this planet ever again. This was Sam's domain, just as Earth was his. She had her agenda and so did he. There was a planet of Infected that needed to be hunted down.

"We got a problem." Vera said, bringing John back to the present.

"What?"

Vera motioned toward the ARC chamber door, which was sealed. "How much you wanna bet **everyone** is at the pavilion, not just the recon teams?"

John sighed heavily. "Guess we wait then."

Vera lowered her pack and opened one of the pockets. She fished out her comm system and tuned it to the correct frequency. "May as well hear what she has to say."

John shrugged and retrieved his comm system. They had nothing better to do anyways. Sam's voice filtered through their comm systems.

_"I understand many of you are wondering why all of the recon teams have been brought back. Well, as of a few days ago, we've found a cure for the infection on Earth."_ Sam said.

From their position, they could hear the murmurs of the crowd around Sam. John and Vera instantly met each others stunned gaze. They dropped their packs and started toward the pavilion.

_"As soon as we can produce enough of the vaccine, we can start spreading it back on Earth."_ Sam continued.

Their steps increased into a raging sprint across the atrium. John cut the feed to his comm and pulled out ahead of Vera. He cut across the grass, reaching the pavilion first. He reached the back of the crowd and began weaving his way toward the front. Vera followed several paces behind him, easily slipping through faster than John. With the entire crowd conversing amongst themselves, it was easier to slip through.

They came up near the front, right alongside Stijn. He stood staring at Sam, mirroring their stunned reactions, but his seemed more agitated than the others. His arms were folded in front of his chest. He glanced to his left and right, spotting John and Vera on either side of him.

"They found cure?" John asked.

Stijn nodded. "Apparently."

Vera shook her head. "Is that even possible?"

"Let's go find out." Stijn said. He dropped his arms and stepped toward Sam. Vera and John followed after him.

Sam's gaze instantly fell to them all. She looked toward John, narrowing her eyes. "I thought you two would leave once its over."

"This isn't over yet, Sam." John said. "We need to talk. Out of their sight."

Sam nodded and turned. They followed her from the pavilion. They easily passed through the murmuring crowd, each person too busy talking amongst themselves to stop the four passing. Sam lead them along the path toward one of the buildings. From memory, Vera realized it was the infirmary complex. Like the other buildings, it was salvaged from the original complex, but tis walls were not transparent. A nanowall was its only entrance to the facility. The walls were bright, steel plates that reflected around the area. They passed through the nanowall and stepped into the all too familiar infirmary. Vera's skin crawled from the memories of bring back corpses into the facility. Too many lives ended here. The walls were lines with numerous gurneys, all appearing like that hadn't been used in some time. It was a pleasant, yet morbid surprise to see. Trays of unused tools lay at the ready. The only equipment that appeared to have been used were the computer consoles.

Sam stopped walking once she reached the center of the room. She turned around, facing the others, crossing her arms in front of her chest."Well?"

"What the hell was that?" John demanded, letting loose on his anger.

"**That** was what I was trying to tell you about. That we found a way to end the virus destroying people back on earth." Sam explained. "We found a cure."

"Bullshit!" John snapped. "you can't cure a mutation of the DNA, much less in nine months."

"We did." Sam repeated. "And we've tested it. It works, John. Full remission of-"

"You what?" Stijn asked. He stepped forward. "You _tested_ this? On what?"

"We had DNA samples from infected tissue available." Sam explained. She walked to one of the consoles. She pressed several keys on the console, bringing up data to several terminals. "Look at this. Each test had the same result, complete remission of the mutation."

Stijn, Vera, and John watched the screen. Mutated blood cells on the slide moved about in erratic patterns, but the moment this 'cure' hit the slide, the mutation died off, leaving healthy blood cells in its wake. In fact, they appeared even more stable than normal cells. John shook his head, watching each test with the same result. It couldn't be that simple. Not after only nine months of hunting them down. Nothing ended that fast.

"I don't believe it." John said, pushing away from the console. "I don't."

Sam shook her head. "You can't see what's right in front of you. you don't wanna see that we have a new way to stop this virus other than killing them."

"It's more than that." Vera said. She moved from the console. "It's a lot more than that Sam. This isn't **juts** about the cure, or spreading the cure. It's about the aftermath. We're looking at a planet full of those demons that have spent the past nine months killing and infecting others. Many of them have killed their family and had no control over it.

"Think about it, Sam. If we turn them back, and they remember **every** horrid thing they've done? How many of those people will end their lives because they can't live with that guilt of what they've done?"

"They were infected with a virus, they had no control over what they were-"

"Do we even know that?" John demanded. "Do we know? Right here, right behind that fucking window, Goat bashed his head in to end his life because he didn't want to turn into those things. That proves that they have some sense of knowing what's happening to them!"

"One case doesn't prove-"

"It doesn't disprove anything either Sam!" John shouted.

Vera grabbed his arm and pulled him from Sam. She moved between them, lowering her voice. "It's not just the infected either. There are sides to the sides here. What about the refugees? How many of them watched their loved ones turn and kill? If we use this cure, can they accept those people back into our lives?"

Sam looked at Vera. "We can't just let those people live like monsters."

"We're not saying we should." Stijn said for the first time. "We're just saying that things are complicated here. And it's not something that we have control over. Say we use the cure on Earth, like you said. And say that, that what Vera comes true? All those people who were once infected, kill themselves in mass suicide. Now what? What was the point of it?"

Sam turned to Stijn. "The point was giving them back their choice."

"It wasn't their choice in the first place." John said. He turned back toward his sister. "Those people didn't choose this, hell the three of us didn't choose this path for ourselves. Someone made that choice when he decided to play God."

"Blaming Carmack is not going to change anything." Sam snapped.

"The bastard cost us our lives, Sam!" he shouted. "Or did you forget the debris shooting through your chest back on earth?"

"As hard as it is to believe," a voice called from across the room. "if it weren't Doctor Carmack, it would have been another scientists." A man stepped into view. He stood tall, but thin. Dark curls hung down, nearly covering his eyes. His face was long with sharp cheekbones, yet he held himself high. He wore dark pants and a dark green shirt beneath a white lab coat. "Unfortunately, past mistakes are often repeated in the future."

"Who the hell are you?" John demanded.

"John, this is Merik." Sam explained. "He came with the first group of refugees and he's been helping us with the cure. He's also one of the few who understand the data from Carmack."

"What did you mean about past mistakes?" Stijn asked.

"We buried the ARC to hide our mistakes and start anew." Merik explained. "But history is always repeated."

"You came from here." John clarified. "To escape this spread when you first caused it."

Merik nodded. "Indeed."

Stijn shook his head. "That's impossible. The site was discovered twenty years ago, buried beneath miles of rock and earth."

"Buried beneath fifty seven feet of earth seventy-two years ago, to be precise." Merik informed. he slowly paced the room.

"Let me guess, you're one of the positive outcomes of the virus?" John asked.

Merik nodded. "I am indeed. And I shall willingly prove it to you."

"How, we examine you chromosome chart?" Stijn asked.

"That is already on file." Merik answered. "As is hers, prior to her infection." He pointed toward Vera.

All eyes slowly shifted toward Vera, who watched Merik wit uncertainty.

John frowned and looked to Vera. "The hell's he talking about?"

"Isn't it, Valeria?" he asked.

In an instant, Vera's hand shot to her thigh holster and ripped her gun from it. She aimed it at Merik and stepped toward him. To his credit, Merik didn't flinch, didn't blink, didn't even try to move. He simply stood his ground until the barrel was pressed against his chest.

"What are you doing?"

"Vera put it down!" Sam ordered.

But Vera remained planted to the ground with her gun pressed to Merik's chest. Her violet eyes stared up at the man, glaring death into his eyes. her voice was low, dangerously low and slow with every word. "How do you know that name?"

Merik watched her closely. "So you're not her after all. I thought as much. You hold much of her appearance, nearly identical. The same height, build, everything...save for the eyes."

"How do you know her name?" Vera demanded.

"Vera put it down." John urged. He couldn't explain what the name had anything to do with Vera's sudden reaction. He tried to think of any moment where Vera had mentioned that name before, but he couldn't. "Vera."

"You have violet eyes with the heterochromia of a brown slit at the top of your eyes. Valeria had the same, only her iris' weren't violet, hers were blue. Like the ice that covered the Russian earth. Thought you share the tint of brown." Merik continued.

Vera clenched her jaw tightly and pressed the barrel hard beneath Merik's jaw. "Last chance. How do you know my mother's name."

"Vera, put the gun down." John said. He moved closer to Vera, but she didn't seem to notice him at all.

"Ah, daughter. Should've realized that." Merik winced at the barrel beneath his chin. "To answer you question...Vera. I know your mother, the same way I know the skeleton in the lab, and this virus. Valeria came from this planet. And she, like you, carry Chromosome 24 in her body. However, assuming that your father was human, your chromosome was diluted."

Vera shook her head. "No. No my mother was born in Russian in-"

"A lie." Merik replied. "We all lied to forget where we came from."

"No." Vera snapped. Her hand trembled around the gun. "You're wrong. You're wrong."

Merik looked down at Vera, no longer fearing the gun in her hand. "She never wanted to leave Russia, did she. She liked the bitter environment."

Vera lost her will her speak. How in the hell did he know? Growing up that was all Vera wanted, was to leave with her family, but her mother could never bring herself to do it. Not even after her father had died. It never made sense to her. "No."

"She enjoyed the environment because it tested her to no end." Merik explained. "It tested her, kept her strong. Stronger than the rest of us."

John took the chance and reached for the gun in her hand. Vera didn't resist at all as he took the gun from her grasp. John passed it to Stijn, who was read to act. Stijn took the gun from John and set it aside. John watched Vera's trembling form. He gently placed his hands on her shoulder. He could hear her heart racing in her chest. "Vera?"

Suddenly Vera collapsed. John acted quickly, catching her in his arms.

"Vera!"

"Oh my god!"

"Vera?" John pressed two fingers against her neck. He felt her pulse, strong and steady. Her breathing was even. She'd fainted. John lifted her from the ground and stood. He made his way to the gurneys.

"She alright?" Stijn asked, following John.

"She's alive." John answered, because 'fine' was something Vera was not. Not after listening to Merik. He laid her gently down on the gurney. "Looks like she just fainted."

Stijn frowned. "Has she ever done that? Since the mission?"

John shook his head. "No."

"So what does that mean?"

John shrugged. "Every body has its limits, even enhanced ones. Vera probably just reached hers."

"Learning ones origins does take its toll." Merik said.

John turned to Merik. "Look, if you value your life on any level, you'll leave before she wakes up."

Merik nodded. "I understand."

It sounded like a good excuse, it was an easy one to make up even, but John didn't believe it one bit. In the nine months, John had never seen Vera give into anything, not even exhaustion. She would never simply pass out from something so little as a talk. Whatever caused it made John worry. Was it just a one time ordeal for one? Or would they all show signs of it? He turned back to look at Vera. What was going on?

* * *

so...anyone see those little tid bits coming? if anyone has doubts about Vera being a 2nd gen Olduvinian, I will remind you of her history with the infirmaries. and I will add; this was planned from the start!

I will go further into Merik's role and we will learn their story! hope you guys enjoyed this!


	8. Olduvinians

Life had a funny way of coming full circle. AS he sat by Vera's gurney, John thought about both of their lives. Twenty years ago, his parents had brought them to Olduvai. As a kid the facility scared the hell out of him, and when his parents had died he'd sworn to never return on pain of death. Ironic how that when he did return, it had killed him. And this place had killed Sam too. It had killed his whole family, but the two of them had managed to survive it.

Then there was Vera. The woman who's life was just one tragedy after another. The moment she caught a break, it was ripped away from her. First her father, then her mother, the convent, her freedom, her team, her friends, and in the end it took her life too. but never once did he ever see her give up. Every time she came back ready to kick ass. And the more John thought about Vera's past, the more everything seemed to make sense now, with Merik's words. Every incident she was in the infirmary, every wound she ever sustained, she was always in better health than she should have been. Every mission she walked or limped away from should have killed her. But she still survived, even Russia where she **had** died. If Merik was telling the truth, it explained everything about Vera.

"John."

John took his gaze off Vera and turned. Sam was standing several feet from him, holding a computer padd in her hands. "Yeah?"

Sam looked down at the padd. "I uh...I looked up...Vera's profile. The data she saved...it had her profile on it from...anyways..." She held the padd out toward him.

John slowly reached out and took the padd from Sam. His eyes scanned the chromosome profile, searching for the one difference. At the bottom of the chart, John found Chromosome 24 listed. But there was a big difference in Vera profile and Lucy's. Lucy's profile indicated the amount was a pure substance, probably from the immediate effects of the injection. Vera's was depleted. It really didn't matter though, Vera was a second generation Olduvinian. "She's got twenty-four pairs of chromosomes."

Sam nodded slowly. "Yeah."

John lowered the padd and looked back at Vera. "You know, in a way, it explains a lot about her."

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

"All the shit she went through, how she handled herself under pressure, it was all coded into her from the start." John explained. "Her healing, her endurance, her strength. It was never her at all."

"You think that-"

"I don't think it, I **know **it." John answered. He rubbed his face. "I've watched it for four years, Sam. I know what Vera's capable of in combat. Now this," he held up the padd. "it explains everything. And its going to take everything from her."

"I don't understand." Sam said.

John shook his head and passed Sam the padd. "No, you don't."

For the first time in a long while, Sam didn't know what to say to her brother. It was easier to argue and yell and scream at each other. But this, this wasn't about them or the world, this was about Vera. Without another word, Sam retrieved the padd from John and turned to leave.

"Sam." John called. "Did you know? What he was?"

"No." she answered. "I didn't." She turned again and walked out of the infirmary, leaving the two soldiers in peace.

The gurney shifted as Vera stirred. John sat up, watching her slowly. Vera's head turned a fraction. Her eye lids shifted and slowly opened. Vera blinked a few times and looked around slowly, before her eyes settled on John.

"Hey." he said. "How do you feel?"

"Depends," she said, her voice was strong. "is that guy around?"

John shook his head. "No. He's out...somewhere."

Vera nodded slowly. She drew her arms up and pushed herself up on her elbows. "What happened?"

John leaned against the gurney. "You fainted."

"Well that's embarrassing." Vera muttered.

"First time for everything." John said.

Vera turned her head, stretching her neck. "I miss anything?"

John paused and leaned back in his chair.

Vera turned to him. "John?"

John sighed. "Sam brought up your chromosome profile. The sample was most likely from the first mission."

"She found chromosome 24." Vera finished.

John nodded. "She did. And from the reading, it was a recessive gene."

Vera laid back on the gurney and stared up at the ceiling. Merik had been right. Then everything she'd survived, everything she'd done, was because of the chromosome. "Russia and the convent...everything was because of C24."

John reached out and took Vera's hand. "Vera-"

Vera pulled her hand from John's reach and rolled onto her side. She sat up and quickly hopped off the gurney. Her hands shook as she tried to storm out toward the door.

John bolted from his chair and followed after her. He caught her wrist. "Vera stop!"

Vera spun around quickly, whipping her hair around her shoulder. "For what? What more am I going to learn from this? I've already learned that everything I've done, everything I've known was a lie. I was born to be a mutant. Born to massacre at any given time. Born to survive the worst deaths imaginable. Born to endure. Everything I wanted in life was never going to be mine, because I never stood a chance. Not when C24 was part of me."

"C24 wasn't scared out their mind on that cliff when Destroyer's life was hanging by a cable. It wasn't C24 that kept you from beating Portman to death. It wasn't C24 that got Goat to open up. And it sure as hell wasn't C24 that talked to me at the cabin." John explained. "It was part of you, but it never controlled you, Vera. You were always in control of it."

Vera wouldn't meet his head. She feebly tried to pull from wrist from his grasp, but never managed to fully accomplish it. "Why didn't she tell me?" She shook her head as her vision blurred behind hot tears. "Why didn't she tell me?"

John pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her. Vera leaned against his chest, forcing herself not to cry. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. She drew her hands up around John's back, clutching his shirt. Her mind was filled with thousands of question, but just the one repeated over and over again. And there was one person who could answer them all.

"Where's Merik?" she whispered.

"Genetics." he answered releasing his hold of her. "You sure you want to do this now?"

Vera wiped her eyes. "What would you do?"

"I'd say 'fuck it' and leave." John answered.

Vera snorted. "You're full of shit." She pushed past him and headed toward the nanowall.

John grabbed his coat from the chair and followed her. They past through the nanowall and out into the atrium gardens. Since the announcement, more people had ventured out and were congregating with each other. John and Vera cut their own path through the crowds. As they made their way toward the lab, they caught bits and pieces of every conversation they past. The topic was the same; the cure.

"You never talk about her." John said as they past another group of five. They were mother, gossiping while their children played. He glanced toward Vera, who wasn't looking at the group.

Vera shrugged. "I couldn't. I couldn't face it."

"Face what?"

"What she did." Vera answered.

They reached the Genetics lab and entered. Unlike the Infirmary, the lab had changed. The metal plates that had once been the walls were replaced to support a more open lab. The desks, tables, and cabinets were polished brightly. The lighting system brought in ample lighting. The cages that had once lined the walls were nowhere to be seen, which filled John with relief. Test tubes, beakers, pipettes, and computer equipment lined the tables and desks. Sam and Merik were seated by one of the consoles, viewing something when they entered the lab.

Merik looked up as they entered and rose quickly. "I should leave."

"Actually, I'm here to talk with you." Vera said. "Without the gun, this time."

Merik chuckled. "It won't be the first, nor the last time a gun has been pointed at me."

Vera ignored the joke and walked closer. "I need to know what you know."

Merik nodded. "Very well. What do you wish to know?" He seated himself back on the stood and looked to Sam and John. "I believe you both may want to hear this as well."

Sam glanced toward John, who grabbed a nearby stool. Vera remained on her feet, shifting her weight every few seconds. She looked to be thinking of a question, but nothing came to her. Sam turned to Merik and answered. "Why did you create C24?"

Merik seemed to pause before he answered. He sighed heavily before beginning. "Before you understand why, you must understand that the civilization that we came from, was built centuries before your people traveled the stars. This planet was once like yours, lush, full of life, water, breathable air for my people. Our focus was always toward the future, to make life for the next generation better. We enhanced our technological capabilities beyond what you have seen and to the point where there was nothing left to advance for nearly five centuries.

"But the price of our technology came at the cost of our health. We were dying by the thousands of diseases. As one, we decided that the our next advancement would be for us. To combat not one disease, but all of them. To ensure that no parent should loose a child too soon, no child would be defected at birth, no mother lost." Merik explained.

"When you say 'we', what do you mean?" John asked.

"My team." Merik answered. "We were, what you call geneticist. We realized that we could enhance our future at the source, at the genetic level. It was meant to be given to the entire planet and once they grew, the Chromosome would be passed down through the generations. When it came to the trials, my team was the first test subjects. And it was superb. Everything was enhanced beyond our expectations." Merik lifted his hand his demonstration. "You would never know this, but when I was born, I could never grasp with my left hand. The moment the serum enhanced my system, I could not only open my hand, but hold my weight with it alone. We believed we found our future."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"The serum as given to the general populace, and the side effects began to manifest." Merik continued. His eyes grew distant. "The people began mutating and spreading the infection. Children were killing their siblings and parents, neighbors were killing each other. It was a bloodbath. They destroyed everything in years until we were forced to leave. We built the ARC to escape and leave these monsters to die."

"How?" Vera asked for the first time. "How could you build one on each planet?"

"We had star travelers. Your equivalence of astronauts." he continued. "When the infection spread, we called them all to Earth and they built the second ARC. We saved all that we could, but in the end, no more than a tenth of the population survived." He turned toward the skeletal remains. "The remains you named Lucy, she was once my wife. They swarmed the final party before they could reach the transport. And to save the rest of use, they sealed the ARC. By the time we realized they were lost, there was nothing we could do to go back. So we buried the ARC in the desert and fled. We tried to forget the horror we had created, but we couldn't within the first month, a third of our survivors took their own life. The rest scattered across the world. Valeria Rossum," he looked to Vera. "your mother, was part of the team that came to earth to save us. She was in charge of its construction. She had also been given the serum prior to her departure. When the suicides began, your mother said that we had not come so far only to give in to grief. We came to survive. And survive she did."

"To an extent." Vera said, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"She survived the Bilbino leak." Merik stated.

"She also killed herself." Vera stated, meeting Merik's gaze. All eyes shifted to Vera. There, she had said it. She had finally said it. Her mother, the woman who had raised her, who had saved a tenth of Mars' population, a superhuman, had taken her own life, and left her alone. She tried to ignore the look of horror that Sam held. John lowered his somber gaze to the floor.

Merik held her gaze. "When?"

"A year after my father died." she answered, feeling the tears start to form.

Merik lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry."  
Vera nodded. "So am I. Guess she wasn't who you thought she was either." She turned around and walked to the door.

John stood up to follow her. "Vera-"

"Don't!" she snapped. She stepped outside alone.

John stopped, sighing heavily. "Dammit."

What was he supposed to do now?

* * *

yay background of the population of Mars. And a little bit more knowledge of Vera's background.


	9. Moving Forward

The atrium passed in a blur of furious, hot tears. Vera wiped her eyes clear, but more tears blurred her sight. Her fury spurred her across the atrium, getting as far from everyone as she could. She weaved her way from the lab, from every building nearby until she was alone. She walked until her feet gave out beneath her, turning her into a sobbing mess on the ground. Vera pressed her head against the ground, letting the tears of furry fall without a care.

That bastard. That adoring, psychopathic bastard! He caused it all. All the death, the chaos, everything. It was all his fault and he had the gall to survive it all. The way he praised her mother like she was their savior! He didn't know what it was like to live with her. To live in a city on the edge of a dying country, where every day you wake is one more day closer to death. To walk the streets and wonder if you'll survive that walk. He praised her for being stronger than the mass that killed themselves. He wasn't the one who'd found her lying in her bed, dead. He didn't clean up the blood and brain matter from the walls and floor. He didn't stay by her side and protector her from the Red Death while they looted their home.

That cold day was permanently etched into her mind. It was the anniversary of her father's death. Ever since they had found his body, Vera had watched her mother slowly die in front of her, day by day. She had one everything to bring her mother back. Some days, it almost worked. Her mother would smile that beautiful, loving smile. She could still feel her mothers touch as she braided Vera's hair for the last time. She could still feel the tight pull of the braid over her head and running down the left side of her head. Now looking back, Vera realized that her mother had taken even greater care in the braid and helping Vera dress that day. Her mother had placed her old fur hat on Vera's head and gently stroked her cheek.

_"Moy malen'kiy angel." _she'd said. It was first time her mother had ever called her something so endearing since her father died. And it had given Vera hope that she would be alright. Vera remembered how silent the house had been when she'd come home from school. She could smell the candles burning, and something else. She'd walked through house, following the smell and had found her mother in her bedroom. She had been lying in bed, dressed in her best. Blood covered the wall by her bed, the gun was still in her hand. She had looked peaceful for the first time since Vera's father had died. For days Vera stayed home, waiting for her mother to wake up, a vain wish even for a child. She never left her mothers side, even when the Red Death had come to loot their home. Vera had stayed and fought until she nearly died. She had stayed for her mothers sake.

_"Pochemu?"_ Vera sat up from the ground and clutched the cross around her neck. _"Pochemu vy ne mogli byt' schastliva so mnoy?"_ Vera wiped her eyes again and took a deep breath. _"Pochemu vy ne mogli ostat'sya so mnoy?"_

_"Prsti moy malen'kiy angel."_

Vera closed her eyes tightly. _"Ty ne tam."_

_"YA dolzhen byl byt' tam dlya vas."_

_"Vy dolzhen imet'."_ Vera whispered.

_"YA podvel tebya."_

Vera covered her ears, but that voice still echoed through her mind. _"Ostav' menya v pokoye."_

_"YA podvel tebya."_

_"Ostav' menya v pokoye."_ Vera clenched her eyes tighter.

_"YA podvel tebya."_

_"Ostav' menya v pokoye!"_ Vera screamed. She snapped her head up, finding herself alone again. She sighed heavily and wiped her eyes dry for the last time. "No more. No more mama." Vera pushed herself up from the ground onto her feet. She brushed the grass from her legs and straightened her clothes. No more pity, no more anger. No more remembering. It was done and over. She'd never get her childhood back. The childhood she wanted. There was no point in thinking about it anymore.

Vera looked around the area. In her rush, she hadn't bothered to learn which way she'd come from. She recognized the blocks behind her. To her immediate left, was another building. The structure of it told Vera it was part of the original complex; meaning either that labs or the dig site. Vera noticed a smaller building attached to it, where a low hum originated from. The walls were thick, made of steel. A single door lay on the west wall of the smaller building. Just beside the door, near the ground, was a hole. Vera frowned. She made her way across the grass toward the small building. Her boots crushed the tall grass as she neared the building. She knelt down by the hole and peeked inside. She could hear the humming, louder than she had earlier. Inside there was nothing but machines.

Vera switched on her comm system and changed channels. "Stijn, you read me?"

_"Dimitrov?"_ Stijn called.

"Affirmative."

_"Thought you and Grimm left?"_

"Not yet. Can you spare some men?" she asked.

_"For what?"_ he asked. Vera could hear the genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I'm east of the living blocks. At a doubling building, and the smaller of the two seem to have some structural damage to its panels." she explained.

_"East of the blocks?"_

"Yes."

_"That's the dig site and air filtration system."_ Stijn explained. _"How bad is the structural damage?"_

Vera ran her hand over the holes rim. Her fingers came back covered in some clear liquid. She cringed. "Its a good sized hole. Two feet wide in fact. And its covered in some sort of resin."

_"Alright, I'm sending some men out there."_ Stijn said.

Vera stood and walked to the access door. "You mind if I check it out too?"

_"You sure you want to?"_ he asked.

But Vera didn't answered. She accessed the doors controls and entered the filtration room. She sealed the door behind her. She fumbled around for the light switch, illuminating the room. Three large filtration units were laid out across the floor, each one spanning ten feet long. The unit hummed loudly as it filtered the air. Pipes ran from the walls and the filtration system across the room. Vera reached into her coat and pulled out one of her pistols. She moved slowly from the door, taking the room step by step. She moved along the filters, peeking around and under each section, but she found nothing. She walked down the center of the room to the opposite wall. She found several vent leading from the filters out the wall. Several covered had been ripped open. Vera frowned and moved down toward the covers. Her foot skid as she walked, causing Vera to pause. She looked down at her boot, finding the same resin on the floor as she had on the wall.

"What the hell?" she asked herself. "Stijn, where do the vents lead to?"

"They lead to the blocks, why?"

"The several covers look like they've been...chewed open." she answered, walking closer. "Looks like a rodent problem."

_"Joy."_ Stijn said. _"What else?"_

"There's a lot more of the resin." Vera said. She moved to the vents. She ran her fingers over the ripped covers, pulling away more resin from them. She noticed a trail of resin leading away from the vents. "I got a trail of it."

_"Where's it lead?"_ Stijn asked.

Vera ducked beneath the vents and crawled across the floor, watching for the resin trail. She eased her way back to her feet and followed the trailed parallel to the vents. She had nearly five feet left when the trail turned to the back wall. Vera stopped and crouched down near the ground. The trail came from a hole, leading to the dig site. Vera swallowed nervously. The hole was a lot bigger than the one by the door. Resin dripped from the sides and roof. "Stijn, it leads into the back wall, just beside the vet junction out. Its coming from the dig site."

_"Shit. Alright, my men should be there any second. I'm heading over there now."_ he explained.

"Grab John, he may want to see this." Vera said. She eased her self around the hole, keeping a good distance from it. She couldn't see anything inside, but she could hear something in there. "Please be a rodent problem." she whispered.

The hissing of the door caught Vera's attention. "Dimitrov?" someone called.

Vera turned. "Back here!"

Suddenly something shot out form the hole, latching onto Vera's leg. Vera snapped her head down. It was white, crawling up her leg, up to her knee. It yanked hard, sending Vera tumbling onto the ground. Her head slammed into the vents, denting the air tunnels in the process. She landed on her back while the room spun in a painful dance. Whatever had her had a strong hold over her. It yanked again, dragging her legs into the hole. Vera screamed as it pulled her into the dark dig.

* * *

yeah...not sure what I'm supposed to say to the first half of the chapter. but the end...MWAHAHAHAHAHA! THE RETURN FO THE PSYCHO WRITER!

translations (haven't done this in a while):

Why? Why couldn't you be happy with me? _Pochemu ? Pochemu vy ne mogli byt' schastliva so mnoy ?_

Why couldn't you stay with me? _Pochemu vy ne mogli ostat'sya so mnoy?_

I'm sorry my little angel. _Prosti moy malen'kiy angel._

You're not there. _Ty ne tam._

I should have been there for you. _YA dolzhen byl byt' tam dlya vas._

You should have. _Vy dolzhny imet' ._

I failed you. _YA podvel tebya ._

Leave me alone. _Ostav' menya v pokoye ._


	10. Nesting

Vera awoke with a start. Her body jumped as she opened her eyes. She found herself in the dig site, somewhere down the tunnels that she didn't recognize. Her whole body convulsed as the piercing cold took hold of her. Vera laid against the floor, trying to steady her breathing. The cold was piercing, coursing through her entire body, straight to the core. Her fingers were already numb. The tips were covered in the resin that seemed to have frozen to the earth. Vera tried to push herself up from the ground to escape the cold, but her body wouldn't rise. She tried again and again, only to find that something was keeping her pinned against the cold ground. As she tried to rise, she felt something hard and cold holding her in place. More resin, froze her against the earth. Her teeth chattered from the cold as she turned her head. Strands of hair had frozen with the resin, tugging as she turned her head. She was lying on the ground in the tunnel. She could make out the walls layered with resin above the rocks. She could also see the outline of a pair of legs not far from her.

"Hey." she called.

The legs didn't move, but something else in the tunnel did. Vera ceased moving and listened. She could hear something skittering across the frozen resin, just out of her sight. First one set, then a second. It was no less than ten feet from her, growing closer.

Vera pulled at her arms, trying to free them. She could hear the frozen resin creak from the strain, but not give. She pulled at her legs, but the resin was well frozen to her clothes. Vera looked back over her shoulder, but still saw nothing. But the sounds of the skittering creatures were still drawing nearer to her. Vera turned and bit into the resin. The foul taste flooded her mouth as she bit into it. She gripped it tightly in her teeth and pulled. The resin gave way under the strain and was ripped from the earth. Vera spat the resin from her mouth and pulled her arm free. She reached across and freed her left hand. Piece by piece, Vera broke free from the resin and sat up.

From behind, Vera could hear the skittering stop suddenly, but she could also hear the sound of the creature leaping into the air. She reached out for a sharp of fractured resin and gripped the form tightly. She spun around quickly and slammed the resin into the creature just as it reached her. The creature flew back and collided with a second one. The pair lay upon the earth, flailing helplessly. Vera broke the resin from her legs, keeping her eyes on the creatures. She'd never seen anything like them before. They were pale colored, nearly reaching Vera's arm length. One had several legs, four on each side with a tail twice the size of its body. The other was purely tail, save for its small body, half the size of the others, yet it had a wing like structure spanning from its sides. They twisted around the others body, trying to right themselves.

Vera took the chance and reached into her shoulder holster. Her fingers dipped into the empty holster. Fear spread through Vera as she reached into her thigh holster, it was empty as well. She literally had no weapons. The creatures corrected their folly and turned their attention back to Vera. She wasted no time and sprinted away. She raced across the frozen resin, crushing it beneath her boots and she fled through the tunnel. As she ran, a chorus of skittering motions echoed around her. Vera glanced behind and saw a horde of them following her. They sprung from the crevices within the wall. Several leapt into the air for Vera. She dropped to the knees, sliding across the frozen resin, ducking their attacks.

The frozen ground shifted to solid earth. Vera nearly stumbled with the shift, but kept running. She took the nearest corner, not caring where she was heading, so long as she was ahead of the serpent creatures.

Suddenly one of the creatures came at her from above, in front of her. The serpent caught Vera with its tail by the throat. It tightly secured its grasp, cutting off the air. Vera staggered through the tunnel and clutched at the serpent. It hissed in her ear. Its long jaw opened in front of her, revealing rows of teeth. From its position around her neck, Vera saw the startling resemblance the serpent had with a cobra. That was when the beast struck. With a startling speed, the serpent released a putrid black liquid from its fangs, over Vera's face. The second the liquid came in contact with her skin, Vera felt a thousand fires igniting on her skin. She closed her eyes tightly, screaming in agony. With the serpent coiled around her neck, Vera's agonizing scream was cut off with her airway. She grabbed the serpents tail and tried to pry it from her throat. She could hear the others coming after her. She gripped the tail tighter and pulled. The serpent gave a furious hiss and spat more acid over Vera's face, but that only spurred Vera on further. She took hold of the serpents head, catching the third strike of acid with her hand. The serpent flailed in her grasp as its acid spread over its own body. her hand seared in pain, but she still held onto the serpent. With her other hand, Vera managed to unwrap the serpent from her neck. The coil tried to wrap around Vera's wrist, anything to prevent it from losing her. Vera let it coil around her wrist. She took hold of its body just an inch from her other hand. She grit her teeth and snapped its spine. the serpent went limp in her hands.

Vera tossed the serpent behidn her and attempted to open her eyes. Her vision was blured, and her face and eyes hurt like hell, but she could make out where she was. She wasted no time in continuing her escape, taking the next tunnel. This time, it was familiar. Vera recognized it as one of the tunnels she'd walked through with Reaper and Sarge.

Suddenly a massive force slammed into Vera's side. The impact threw Vera into the tunnel wall, cracking both collarbones in the chaos. Vera screamed as she felt each break. She tried to run, but a large, mutated hand grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall, pinning her back. Vera hung several inches above the ground, staring into the monsters face. The demon had a deformed, oval face. Ice blue eyes with a red outline stared at her. The skin was pulled back against its face, but it looked different from an Imp. Jagged teeth showed through its open mouth. The creature was a good foot taller than Vera, its arm as thick as her waist. Vera clawed helplessly against its arm. The demon leaned toward her and opened its mouth. Vera watched as the tongue slipped out. She closed her eyes and waited. She felt the hot, prickly tongue glide over her cheek and down to her neck. She waited for the pierce, but it never came.

A garbled, low laugh came from the demon. He threw her from the wall, toward the next tunnel. Vera pushed herself up from the ground and looked back. The creature still stood where it was, watching her closely. Vera noticed it had a...a smile almost. Vera turned and sprinted back through the tunnel, not risking another glance behind her. Her bones knitted back together in a matter of steps through the tunnel. Her heart hammered inside her chest, matching the painful throbbing on her face and hand. She sprinted down the tunnel, catching sight of a light. The entrance through the filtration shed!

Vera slid across the ground to the entrance. She quickly crawled through, finding herself in the shed. Her eyes fell to one of her guns, lost in the initial attack. Vera grabbed her gun and pulled herself out of the tunnel. She staggered to her feet and sprinted toward the entrance. She could hear the serpents following her as she rounded the filters. The door was just in front of her.

A familair hiss caught Vera's atteniton. She turned quickly, aiming her gun. The serpent was in midflight. Vera fired a single round. The bullet ripped through the serpent, sending its black acidic blood through the air, splattered over the filters and Vera's body. Vera screamed in pain and stumbled into the door. She turned to the controls, finding them melted. By the sight, it had happened prior to her escape. The wires and metal were long sense cool from their melt. Vera slammed the butt of her pistol against the control panel, popping the metla cover form it. The wires had long sense been melted and fused together. Not matter how hard Vera tried, the door was never going to open from her side.

"Vera!"

Vera turned. Through the window she could see Stijn and John with a small group of men outside the unit. "Open the door!"

"Behind you!" Stijn warned.

Vera spun around, pressing her back against the door. The serpents raced across the room. She fired off several shots. Each bullet ripped through its target, filling the air with acidic rain. The serpents of the ground dodged the raining blood as the ground sizzled from the blood. Vera fired another two shots when the door hissed behind her. Vera fell out, managed to roll backwards once she hit the ground. She rolled onto her knees and continued firing. John opened fire at the serpents. Several more exploded in an acid shower, spraying Vera even further. Vera crigned in pain as the blood rained over her body. Stijn removed an ST and popped the top. He tossed it inside the shed and sealed the door. Seconds later, the shed exploded from the grenade. The structure shook from the intense explosion.

Stijn exhaled heavily. "What the hell were those?"

"That is your pest problem." Vera tried to stand, but her body collapsed back to the ground. her gun tumbled from her trembling hand. Her body was on fire, still reeling from the acid she had been sprayed with. She groaned in pain, still feeling the acid burn through her skin.

John shouldered his weapon and dropped beside Vera. He gently took her face into her hands. He stared at the slowly recovering burns over her face. The skin on and around her eyes was an ashen color. Her eyes themselves were severely burned. Her coat and shirt were literally melting off her body. John peeled the melting coat form Vera's body, getting the acid off before it could do any more damage. He hooked his arm beneath her legs and gathered Vera against his chest, rising to his feet. "We need to get you to the infirmary."

"I'm going in after my men." Stijn said.

"I'll meet up with you." John said, turning away.

Vera shook her head. "There's...there's something...more in...in there."

John turned back toward Stijn.

"We'll handle it." Stijn replied. He pushed the controls, releasing the door. He turned and stepped inside the filtration shed.

John turned from the shed. "Sam, meeting me at the Infirmary, have a burn kit standing by!"

* * *

dun dun dunnnn...yeah nothing's ever easy. I hope that wasn't confusing for anyone. Vera's slowed healing WILL be explained in the next few chapters...not sure which one though.


	11. Anelgesics

Sam rushed around thaw infirmary. She laid the burn kit on the rolling tray and set up beside the closest gurney. She moved about the room ,quickly gathering other supplies. she grabbed several needle and syringes, laying them side by side, before returning to the medical cabinet and retrieved a vial of analgesics. By the time Sam had prepared everything. John entered the infirmary, carrying Vera in his arms. Sam's eyes fell to Vera and shot a questionable look toward John. "What happened?"

John shook his head. "Something I haven't seen before."

"Fucking acid spitting snakes." Vera muttered. Her burnt hand was pressed against her chest, while her other covered her eyes.

John laid her on the gurney. He gently took Vera's hand from her chest. The skin was a bright red, several spots were a dark grey. There were even divots in the skin where more acid had struck before the healing completed. John watched as it slowly knitting itself together but by the look it was agonizingly slow and painful for Vera. "Sam, I need gauze and burn cream."

"Is she healing?" Sam asked, reaching into the kit.

"Not fast enough." John answered. He reached across for the tray. He picked up the needle and syringe and connected them. He reached for the analgesic vial and looked at it. "You got morphine?"

"You giving her a cocktail treatment?" Sam asked.

John glared at Sam, but Vera intervened in the sibling dispute. "I can only take morphine. Anything else would kill me."

Sam looked down at Vera. "I'll go see." She passed John and burn cream and gauze pads.

John dipped the gauze in the cream and wrapped it around Vera's hand. Vera groaned in pain. Her left hand tensed at the pressure of the gauze. John watched as Vera tried to force her breathing down, slowly breathing through her nose. "Vera?"

Vera moaned again. Tears rolled down her burns.

"Vera, talk to me." John urged. He reached over her legs for the burn kit. He pulled several more gauze pads from it.

"There was...a reason...I went out...of my way...to avoid...chemical burns." she muttered through her gritted teeth. "Lotta good...it did me."

Sam returned with a small vial. "I found morphine."

"Great." Vera muttered.

John looked down at Vera. He could hear her accelerated heartbeat, the strain in her voice, and she wasn't refusing the morphine. She was hurting bad. "How bad is it?"

Vera took a deep breath. "It won't stop burning."

"Sam get me twenty-" Vera reached out and grabbed John's arm.

"Just take the edge off." Vera warned. She opened her eyes and stared up at him. Her eyes were a dark grey color, mixed with her violet brown iris'. Her eyes were fixed on him, or at least in his general direction. John didn't believe Vera's sight was too good at the moment. "Nothing more."

John nodded and looked over to Sam. "Make it five milliliters." He soaked the gauze pads in burn cream and looked down at Vera. "You ready?"

Vera nodded. "Go." She closed her eyes.

John carefully laid the gauze over Vera's eyes. Her grip over his am tensed as the gauze fell over her eyes. John grabbed her hand and watched Sam with the needle. "Almost over, Vera."

"Like hell it is." Vera snapped.

Sam pressed the needle into Vera's arm and slowly injected the analgesic serum into her blood stream. Sam withdrew the needle and set it aside. "Done. What about the smaller burns?"

Vera shook her head. "I'll deal." She shook John's hand. "You should regroup with Stijn?"

John frowned. "You sure?"

Vera nodded. "Yeah. Something is going on in the dig site. There were hundreds of those creatures, he'll need you."

John hesitated. After what he'd just witnessed, there was no doubt something had happened in the dig. Stijn's men were missing and in the ten minutes since Stijn last spoke with Vera, she had been through hell. But given Vera's state, he didn't want to leave her alone. It wasn't her history with infirmaries he was worried about, but rather what could happen to her further. Who knew how long it would take for her eyes to heal.

"I'll stay with her." Sam offered, sensing her brothers discomfort. "Have some girl time."

"Wanna swap embarrassing stories about your brother?" Vera asked.

John snorted. "God that's a bad idea."

"No it's not." Vera said. "I've got some good ones."

John shook his head. "Yeah, then you'll walk right out of the infirmary."

Vera let go of his hand and pointed to the gauze pad. "Not with this thing on my face."

Sam smirked. "She always this difficult?"

"Actually, she's being very cooperative right now." John answered. "For her, that's a lot."

"I can still hear you." Vera stated.

"Then why don't you listen to me?" John asked.

"Because you're no fun." Vera answered. "Go. Find Stijn. I'm not going anywhere. Ten to one Sam will get in contact with you every five minutes of my condition."

John sighed but nodded. "Right. I'll be back soon." He took Vera's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Behave."

Vera flipped him off.

John nodded to Sam and headed through the nanowall.

Vera sighed heavily, more pained than before. "God, I thought he'd never leave?"

Sam arched one of her brows and looked back down at Vera. "You wanted him gone?"

"I didn't want him hearing this." she answered.

"Hear what?"

"Why my healings slowing down." Vera answered.

Realization dawned on Sam. If Vera had mentioned it in front of John, he never would have left. But Vera had managed to fake being alright and stable enough, for John to leave her behind. "Tell me everything, Vera."

* * *

short yes. I blame the stupid heat wave here. totally killed the chapter. I hope the ending wasn't too bleh. sorry, my brain is overheated. next chapters will be better!


	12. Missing Pieces

The dig site had not changed much since John last walked the tunnels. At least-not at first. The hole within the wall of the filtration shed led into one of the early tunnels, leading to the pressure door of the dig. The familiar jagged shapes led through the tunnels, past where Mac's head had been severed from his body, past the burial place of his mother and father, and past the door where Clay and Thermen had been found. That was as far as the familiarity stretched. Beyond the tunnel, the air grew colder, far colder than John had expected. The air held a strange familiarity to Russia, allowing him to see his breathing if cloud form. The tunnel had nearly no light to illuminate the teams way, save for the gun lights. Small beams danced over the frosted tunnel walls as they ventured deeper into the uncharted tunnels.

Stijn and John moved step by step through the tunnel. Stijn's team followed several paces behind. Two men were left at the filtration entrance, another two by the hole, two more near the tunnel shift, and the other six followed behind them. They made next to no noise, despite the frozen earth beneath their feet. The eased their way through the tunnel section by section, moving in the familiar military formation. John gathered that Stijn had trained the men to some extent by their formation, but it was something.

Stijn glanced toward John. "How far do these tunnels go?"

John shook his head. "The one's I know of ended several turns back."

"Perfect." Stijn muttered. His light scanned over the walls, catching a glint in its action. Stijn paused and shined his light over the tunnel wall section. "What the hell?"

John glanced Stijn's way. Stijn's light came across something embedded in the wall that reflected the light. Stijn reached out toward the wall and through the section. He broke off a piece and examined it closely. Stijn passed it toward John. John took the piece into his hand. There were tiny gray crystals within the frozen cast. It was cold as ice, but it wasn't ice. Not frozen water anyways. Whatever had formed this ice, it wasn't natural. "What is this?"

"Vera mentioned finding resin in the filtration shed." Stijn said. He looked at the cast in John's hand. "Could be the same stuff but it solid form."

John tossed the resin to the ground, letting it shatter on impact. "So where did it come from?"

Stijn looked toward the tunnel ahead of them. "Something tells me we're about to find out."

They continued their cautious venture through the tunnel. The deeper the ventured, the colder the air became, the thicker the resin was, and the more cautious everyone became. Stijn and John matched each other step for step, taking no more than one step from the other as they walked through the tunnel. The tunnel curved again in front of them. Stijn and John exchanged looks. John moved against the wall and nodded to Stijn, who moved into position. He stepped around the corner, aiming his weapon. John came around beside him.

"What the hell?" Stijn asked.

They stood at the entrance to...a nest. The nest was a good fifteen feet deep, running ten wide. The walls dripped with resin, much of it was frozen to the wall, but fresh resin ran down the sides. The ground was littered with small skeletons. John recognized them from his med school years. Dog and cats, pets once upon a time. Their bones were frozen deep within the resin, crystallized in a twisted display of preservation. John let his light sweep across the room, it was then he caught sight of black boots nearly seven feet from their position.

"There." John said. He took a step toward the boots and listened.

The entire nest seemed to echo with a strange skittering noise.

John couldn't see anything nearby, despite Vera's warning, and took another step toward the man.

"Heads up!" Stijn yelled. He opened fire at the space above John's head.

Slivers of resin burst from the ceiling, raining down on John. He raised his arm, blocking most of the shards. John felt a heavy thump of something colliding with his arm, just before a painful burning sensation broke through his entire arm. John lowered his arm and watched as smoke filtered from his sleeve. Several small holes had burnt through his coat and made its way through the next two layers of clothing. John winced, but the wounds were already healing. He turned his attention to the ground, where the thing had fallen after hitting his arm.

It was lying on the ground, a pale, two and a half feet long creature that resembled a spider. Its body had been shot to pieces, severing the large tail from its body, and cutting the body in half. What surprised John more was the concentration of the creatures blood that ate away at his arm and the ground beneath it. But it also wasn't the creature that had attacked Vera.

"What is it?" Stijn asked, join John.

"Dead." John answered. he knelt beside the creature and pushed at the dead body with the barrel of his gun.

"That's not the thing that flew at Vera at the shed." Stijn stated, taking a good long look at the creature.

"No, it's not." John replied. He stood up and turned to the men. "There's one of your men."

"Wilson?" Stijn turned, following John's direction. He spotted the boots of one of his men. Slowly, Stijn moved to the man's side. His light scanned over the man's body and stopped at his face. "Oh shit."

"What?" John asked. He moved to Stijn's side as the rest of the men filed in two by two. He looked down at the man lying on the ground. Wilson was completely motionless. No injuries on his body at all, but one of the pale spider creatures had latched onto his face. The legs gad wrapped around Wilson's head, holding securely against his face. John knelt next to him and watched his chest rise. He was breathing. Actually breathing with the thing on his face, but what was even more interesting was the fact that his body had been secured to the ground by sheets of frozen resin. The man's arms were secured to the ground near his head. John inspected the resin. There wasn't a single crack within the resin to suggest that the man had tried to break free, meaning that he was either unconscious at the time, or was subdued and prevented from breaking free. "What the hell?"

Stijn knelt beside John. "What is it doing on his face?"

John shook his head. "I don't know but he's still breathing."

"Stijn!" called one of the men. "We found Foster. There's something on his face!"

John and Stijn turned. Foster was situated nearly seven feet from Wilson. John stood up and walked to Foster. He, too, was secured to the ground by frozen resin. The creature was attached to his face. The tail was wrapped around their necks, securing it around their throat, but the were both breathing. John let his eyes wander around the chamber. His light shined across the ground, stumbling upon a section of destroyed resin. John frowned and rose to his feet. He walked over toward the upturned resin and knelt beside it. It was been pushed up, from beneath. Vera.

"John?" Stijn asked.

"Same state." John answered. "Things latched around Wilson's head. I found where Vera was pinned too. Looks like she managed to break free before whatever shit went down here happened." he switched channels. "Sam, you copy?"

_"I'm here."_

"Get Merik to the infirmary, we found Foster and Wilson." John explained. He paused a moment. "They've...they have some kind of creature...parasite attached to them."

_"Are they alive?"_ Sam asked.

"Yeah, they are." John answered. "See if you and Merik can remove them. Stijn and I are going to finish our sweep. We'll head over once we're finished."

_"Got it."_ Sam said.

John paused a moment. There was a nagging feeling creeping through him. Vera had been inside the chamber, with these men. Had she been another victim of whatever was going on and didn't know? "How's Vera holding up?"

_"She's good. She's sleeping off the morphine." _Sam answered.

John nodded to himself, feeling the relief ease through him. "Copy. See you soon."

_"Copy."_ Sam said.

John switched his channel back and turned to Stijn. "Let's get them to the infirmary."

Stijn nodded. he lifted his gun and slammed it into the resin. The frozen resin shattered from the impact, echoing through the entire chamber. Not two seconds after the echo ceased, something sounded from all sounds. It was a strange combination of a skittering feet across the ground and a slithering sound. Everyone's attention shifted. Each weapon was raised in a split second, taking up a defensive position.

"What the hell was that?" someone asked.

The sounds grew louder, growing nearer to them, surrounding them from all sides. There was no single point of origin. It came at them from every angle, even above. Stijn knelt on the ground, watching the area in front of him. His light scanned over the glistening resin, but nothing crossed its path. John lifted his gun, watching the ceiling. His light scanned over the glistening resin, watching for any signs of movement.

"Contact!" someone yelled, firing at the wall.

All hell broke loose from then on. They came from every angle, out of sight and in plain view. They hurled themselves through the air, launching themselves at the team. Gunfire erupted from all sides. All around the creatures were destroyed in a blaze of gunfire, sending waves of acid coursing through the tunnel. Frozen resin melted under the concentrated acid spilling over it, filling the air with thick clouds of smoke, making the situation even more hazardous. Above, their heads, john watched as several more creatures, serpent and spied alike, hurled themselves at them. He opened fire, tearing through the creatures, sending a rain of acid down upon them. A serpent suddenly caught holding of John's arm by its tail, latching onto him. Spikes suddenly shot through his arm, securing the serpent to his skin. John winced, feeling the blood flow from his arm. He grabbed the serpents tail and tried to pull it form his arm, but the spikes were embedded deep into his arm. The serpents head crawled up John's arm, nearly a foot from his face. John watched as its body extended out like a cobra. Its massive jaws opened wide, revealing its dozens of needle like teeth, just seconds before a spray of acid shot from its mouth. Move moved quickly, angling the serpent higher, shooting the acid over his shoulder. He took holding of the serpent with his free hand and snapped its neck. the serpent went limp in his hand and John peeled it from his arm. He felt the wounds close immediately and dropped the serpent to the ground.

Around him, the gunfire had died down to nearly nothing. Several shots rang out, before the chamber was silent again. The air was filled with thick acid smoke, clouding their sights.

"Grimm!" Stijn called.

"Here!" John called. "Cleared?"

"Clear." Stijn answered. He moved to John's side. "I think we should pull back and blow this hole before we're swarmed again."

John nodded. "Agreed."

"Colton, Galvin, get Foster and Wilson to the infirmary." Stijn ordered. "I want every grenade from every soldier secured to the wall and timers set now!"

Colton and Galvin shouldered their weapons and turned to Wilson and Foster. Both men gathered their fallen soldier's and retreated back through the tunnel. Every remaining soldier removed their grenades and secured them to the walls. The grenade were smaller than their hands, the same timed detonators John remembered using during his first firefight back on Earth. Stijn tossed John several detonators and secured his own. John moved throughout the chamber, lining his detonators on the walls.

"Secured!"

"Everyone all back into the tunnels!" Stijn ordered.

One by one, the men filed back down the tunnels, the sound of the detonators pressing their steps. John and Stijn moved to the nearest corner and leaned against the wall. With the final detonator alarm, each one exploded throughout the chamber. The entire tunnel system shook from the force of the explosion. Dust surged back through the tunnels, clouding their vision. Stijn waved his hand through the air, trying to wave the dust from his face. John shook his head, sending tiny chunks of rock from his hair. Both men pushed off the wall and reentered the chamber. The frozen resin, the bodies, and, skeletons had been destroyed in the blast. The dust slowly began to settle, clearing the chamber.

Stijn stepped toward the center of the chamber. "Clear. Looks like whatever was in here, we got them all with the grenades."

John nodded, stepping deeper into the chamber. His eyes scanned the walls, watching for something to leap at him, but nothing came. They had cleared the tunnel, but had they done so in time? Wilson and Foster wee out of commission for some time, and there was no telling what would happen to them once the creatures came off their faces. "Do you remember what Vera said about the tunnels?"

Stijn frowned and thought back. "She said there was something in the tunnels."

"Something **more** in there." John stated. He looked around the chamber again, hoping he was wrong.

"You don't think she was talking about this, do you?" Stijn asked.

John shook his head. "No, it's too easy. There was something else in here. Before we got here."

"If there was something here, we would've found it in the tunnels, John." Stijn replied. "We swept through those tunnels and we found nothing."

John turned to Stijn. "Then tell me something, do you think this site is cleared?"

Stijn stared at John long and hard. "No, but we can't fight what we can't see."

"What we can't see is what worries me." John replied.

* * *

oh my gosh I'm sorry that took forever to post. but I finally have a spellcheck program now for my writing. It feels good to be able to check spelling again!

so, any theories yet? cause the next chapter is BRUTAL!


	13. The Host

_Vera was running for her life. She raced through the atrium gardens, her feet pounding against the grass as she ran. Her heart beat wildly inside her chest, beating mercilessly against her rib cage. Fear and anxiety coursed through her blood, pushing her further from the danger. She could feel it coming after her, chasing her, hunting her. It could easily take her out, and she knew it. It was toying with her, letting her fear sweep over her instincts. Vera weaved through the trees and leaned against one. Her chest heaved as she tried to regain her breathing. Her hands trembled against the tree, as did her entire body. She had to get away from that thing. Vera pushed off and sprinted away. She raced up the stairs, leading up to the memorial willow. She reached the top and stopped dead. The branches and leaved were covered in blood. It dripped down each leaf and pooled around the ground. Vera staggered from the tree and bumped into something. A wave of fear and aggression surged through her. Her senses warred with themselves to run or turn and fight. Vera did a mix of both. She turn and screamed._

Vera awoke with a start. Her body jumped against her gurney. Her heart hammered inside her chest, matching its pace from her dream, or whatever the hell it was. She'd had far too many to consider them a coincident now. She couldn't even remember when they had started, but they had woken her up every night. Even more concerning, they were more or less the same. Something was chasing her, hunting her. She never saw it directly, but before she woke up Vera would always see the cold eyes that would end her.

"Vera?"

Vera turned toward the voice, but couldn't see anything. She reached for her eyes and found the gauze pad still over her face. "Yeah."

"You okay?" It was Sam.

Vera relaxed as she began remembering where she was. The infirmary. The burns, the damn creatures. "Yeah, just forgot where I was."

"John said you're not a fan of infirmaries." Sam said. Vera could hear her steps coming closer to the gurney. "You have a reputation for breaking out early?"

Vera smirked. "Yeah. He never really appreciated that."

Sam chuckled. "I can't imagine why."

"I think it was, something about having to hunt me down afterwards." Vera explained.

"How you feeling?" Sam asked.

Vera moved her fingers. The gauze was still laying on top of her hand, but she couldn't feel any more burns or pain from the regeneration. "Good. I think it's healed."

"Let's have a look." Sam said. She reached for the edge of the gauze pad and slowly peeled it back. Vera winced at the lighting, but nothing more. Air washed over her exposed face, cooling her face. Vera slowly opened her eyes. It took a few blinks before her eyes adjusted to the lighting, but she didn't feel any pain, nor was her vision distorted. Sam moved into her line of sight, inspecting the wounds. "All healed."

"About time." Vera muttered. She lifted her hand and pulled off the gauze pad. Her palm was perfectly healed over. The ash covered skin was now healed and pale. Not traces of the burns were evident. "How long was I out for?"

"Twenty minutes maybe. Not very long." Sam shrugged. She turned to the tray and picked up a dark purple cloth. "I thought you'd might want to change."

Vera looked down at her shirt. The black fabric looked like it was Swiss cheese. Dozen of holes dotted the fabric. She looked up and Sam and took the shirt. "Thanks."

Sam stepped away. "I've been thinking about your healing problem."

Vera stripped out of her shirt. "And?"

"And, it doesn't make sense, for starters." Sam explained. "It every case up here, everyone has healed instantaneously. I have no idea why you haven't."

Vera sighed. She slipped the purple shirt over her mutilated tank. She pulled the hem over her stomach and straightened the long sleeves around her arm. "That's not exactly what I was looking for, Sam."

"I know, and I'm doing the best that I can." Sam explained. She sighed. "Okay, you said that this isn't the first time your healing has been delayed. The fall back on earth two days ago, right? Is that the first time you noticed it?"

"No." Vera shook her head. "I noticed it...three months ago. Took a Imp claw to the shoulder. It healed faster than my bones and burns, but it was still delayed."

Sam nodded slowly. "So its slowing down more." Sam folded her arms in front of her chest. She chewed on her thumbnail. It was a habit she picked up when she was trying to think of a solution, but she hadn't picked it up in a while. Sam shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. From what you're telling me, the first incident, it was delayed by...how much?"

"A few seconds."

"Now the fall was delayed by twenty seconds." Sam continued. "And the burns were delayed by twenty minutes, plus." She sighed again. "Well, broken bones tend to heal faster depending on their breaks. But the burns were chemically induced. That could have a factor in it."

"But that doesn't tell us why." Vera replied.

Sam nodded. "I know. I wish I could tell you more, Vera. I do."

"I know." Vera nodded. She sighed heavily. "I'll live...hopefully. What have I missed?"

Sam opened her mouth, but her sentence was cut off by another voice.

"Sam, give me a hand!" Merik called.

Vera frowned. "Was that Merik?"

"Yes." Sam said she turned and walked across the infirmary toward Merik. Vera followed after her. "The team found Foster and Wilson in the tunnel ,where you were taken."

"Are they alive?" Vera asked.

Sam reached for the curtain. "It's hard to explain." She pulled back the curtain to the examination gurneys.

Vera staggered away form the curtain. "Holy shit!"

Merik looked up from the gurney. He stood leaning over Foster's body, trying to remove the spider from his face. Merik held the tail of the creature in his hand, but he seemed to be having trouble on his own. "Ah Vera, good to see you up again. Do you mind helping me?"

"What the hell are you-"

"Foster and Wilson came in from the tunnel remember?" Sam asked. She moved to the gurney across from Merik. "They were found like this."

"So why bring them here?" Vera asked.

"To removed them." Merik answered. He cringed at the tails strength. "And it's a bitch of a task as it is. Sam, give me a hand."

"What do you need?"

Merik looked down at Foster's head. "Buggers got a good grip on his head. Use the scalpel and cut the legs from its body."

Sam nodded and picked up the scalpel from the tray. She moved to Foster's head and wedged the scalpel between the skull and the creatures leg.

"No don't!" Vera warned, but it was too late.

Sam cut into the leg, sending the stream of acidic blood from the cut. It seeped out, spilling onto Sam's leg. Sam cried out, dropping the melting scalpel. The acid ate away at her leg, eating the material and flesh. Sam staggered away from the gurney and fell to the floor. Vera sprinted over to Sam's side. Vera pulled Sam from the bleeding creature. "Shit, that hurt."

"I could've told you that." Vera said.

Sam winced and looked down at her leg. Her skin had already knitted itself together, leaving it smooth and unblemished. The only evidence of the accident was the gaping hole in the right leg of her pants just above her knee. She stood up from the ground and moved away from the still oozing wound.

"What happened?" Merik asked.

Vera stood up and motioned toward Foster. "Those things have a nasty defense. Acid for blood."

"I thought it was just the serpents that had it." Sam said. She exhaled deeply. "I should've been more careful."

Merik winced and readjusted his grip of the creature's tail. "Well, that makes things a bit more difficult."

Vera took a deep breath and stepped toward the table. She reached beneath one of the legs and quickly snapped it back. The body of the creature trembled. Its tail flailed in Merik's grasp. Vera took hold of a second digit and snapped it back. The creature trembled again. Its legs released Foster's face and Vera grabbed the legs with both hands. She pulled it from Foster's face. A long, slick tube slid from Foster's mouth. As the tube became freed, Foster started coughing painfully. The creature went limp in Vera's hand. She looked down at the still creature and released it. Merik fumbled to catch the creature in his hands.

"There you go." Vera said. She turned and walk away from the gurney.

Merik set the creature on the tray and checked on Foster. "Easy man, easy."

Foster coughed another few times before settling back on the gurney unconscious.

"I suspect he'll come around on his own." Merik said. "Let's move on to Wilson, shall we?" He turned from Foster to Wilson's gurney that lay several feet away. Merik paused as he stared down at Wilson. The creature had already been removed and lay on the floor beside the gurney. "Curious."

Sam walked over to Wilson's gurney. "What happened to it?"

Merik grabbed the tray and rolled it closer. He took a clear tray from the top and pair of tongs, kneeling beside the creature. He gently prodded the creature, but it continued the lay on the floor unmoving. Merik lifted it onto the plastic tray and stood up. "It would appeared to have fallen and died. Perhaps there was no need to remove if from Foster if it was to fall on its own." He looked down at the creature on the tray.

"So why were they attached to their faces?" Sam asked.

Merik shook his head. "Perhaps it was a defensive precaution. Immobilize the intruders until the nest could be relocated?"

Sam looked down at the creature on the tray. She could still feel the burning of the acid from its brother. It was a strange combination. Acidic blood, a strong grip, restraining its victim. But what was it all for? Merik's guess was a decent one, but that was all that it was, just a guess. They needed to know more. She looked back between Foster and Wilson. She watched as the bruises around Foster's neck faded away. Wilson's bruised neck was already healed. Every sign of possible injury was completely gone.

"I'll go and examine our guests." Merik said. "See what else I can learn from them."

Sam nodded. "Keep them from Vera."

"Yes of course." Merik said absentmindedly as he walked toward the nearest examination station.

Sam stepped away from Wilson and Foster. She drew the curtain back around the gurney's giving them some privacy. She turned and looked for Vera. Sam walked across the infirmary and found Vera sitting on the gurney. Her legs were drawn up on top while she seemed to be staring off into space. Sam slowed her steps, suddenly unsure of she wanted to interrupt Vera.

"They come off?" Vera asked, turning to Sam.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Wilson's fell off on its own Thanks for helping with Foster, though."

Vera nodded slowly. Her eyes traveled down to Sam's leg. "How's the leg?"

Sam looked down. "It's weird, I know its healed but...I'm still feeling it."

Vera leaned back on the gurney, bending her knees up in front of her. "That's usually how it goes."

"Do you?" Sam asked. "John said you sent a lot of time in the infirmary, but do you remember all of them?"

Every fucking one of them." Vera answered, staring up at the ceiling. "Sometimes I can still feel Taylor driving his claws straight through me, like I wasn't even there. Other times its the electric surge from the Congo, of a knife wound to the back from Vietnam. "

Sam lowered her head. She had no idea how extensive Vera's injuries had been in the corps. Every injury she'd ever suffered was burned into the woman's mind. All that Sam could look back on was the acid. Even her death was blocked from her mind. When the RPG had detonated, Sam couldn't remember anything. It was black until she woke up at the site. "Vera-"

"Don't apologize." Vera said. "It happens when you're a soldier. Frankly, I'm one of the lucky one's."

"All those trips to the infirmary and you kept coming back." Sam stated.

"It all makes sense now." Vera said. "All those times I walked away when no one else could have."

Sam didn't know how to respond to Vera. She didn't want to piss her off, not out of fear, but out of respect. Vera had sacrificed a lot already and it wasn't fair to dig up anything more. "Some people are just born lucky."

Vera snorted bitterly. "Yeah, definitely not me, Sam."

"I didn't mean-"

"I know what you mean." Vera replied. "But trust me, if John's told you **half **of the shit I've been through, you'd know I'm anything **but** lucky."

"Two units." Sam stated. "Russia, two tours on Olduvai. You came back from every one of them. You don't call that lucky?"

Vera looked at Sam. "No. I don't. Because I didn't walk away from any of those. I lost something every single time. Something I can't get back. Be thankful that you only remember the burn, Sam. Because you don't want to remember everything else." Vera swung her legs over the side of the gurney and stood up.

Sam was at a loss for words. She stared at the gurney while Vera moved around, gathering whatever supplies she could. In all her years, Sam never understood what John saw in the corps. She always assumed he was punishing himself for no reason. She didn't understand why either of them stayed in the corps.

"Samantha!" Merik called.

Sam looked up, torn from the thoughts. Vera stood at the gurney, checking over her pack that had been brought over nearly an hour ago. Sam turned from Vera and walked back toward Merik. He was sitting at the examination table with the dead creature. "What did you find?"

"Something interesting, if not concerning." Merik answered. He motioned down toward the creature. "Look."

Sam looked down at the creature. The under belly was a dark gray color that reminded Sam of smoke. With the tweezers, Merik reached into the center of the body and withdrew the long tube and laid it aside. The tube was a good two feet long. Sam frowned and watched Merik's next move. Merik set the tweezers down and picked up a scalpel. "Merik!"

"It's quite alright." he said. "Its blood its quite harmless now. Its being diluted with decomposition as we speak."

The thought was not quite as comforting as Merik put it. He used the scalpel and cut into the creature's body. But as he had said, the blood had lost its acidic properties. It spilled to the side of the body and down into the tray. It was a bright green color, almost neon. Merik peeled back the sides of the body, exposing the internal organs of the creature. Sam wasn't sure what she was seeing suddenly.

"I believe," Merik said, pointing to a large mass of skin on the underside of the creature. "that in order to keep their victims alive, their lungs must be able to obtain copious amounts of oxygen. Their lung capacity for their size should be ten times smaller than what it is."

Sam nodded slowly. "So they keep them alive. But what for?"

"I was getting to that." Merik pointed to the internal organs of the creature. "This sack here is full of tiny eggs, for lack of a better term." He uses the scalpel and slices through the tube, revealing three more tinier tubes. "Now, the exam concluded that two of these three were inserted into the victims throat and the nasal cavity."

"Then where did the third travel?" Sam asked.

"I'm still trying to determine that." Merik answered. "But in comparison, as it is the longest of the three tubes, it surpassed the esophagus and ventured further."

Sam frowned. "The shorter two, where do they lead back to?"

Merik followed the tubes. "To the lungs. To provide the oxygen most likely."

Sam nodded. "And the third?"

Merik realized what she was asking. He followed the third praying he was wrong. He paused, reaching the end. "The egg chamber."

A loud crash from behind catches their attention. Sam and Merik spin around. Wilson's gurney was tipped on its side. Wilson was on the ground convulsing violently. His body shook against the floor, his muscles seizing rapidly. Sam and Merik rushed to his side. Bloody foam formed at the corners of his mouth and oozed down his face. Wilson cried out in agony, his body contorting at painful, unnatural angles. His wrists twisted around and his fingers begin to break against the back of his wrist. His elbows snaps in half and his arms twists around, like a pretzel. His legs thrash about on the floor, bones snapping at every angle until there is no other bone left to break. His back arches toward the ceiling, pushing his chest up. A series of bones snap one after the other up his spine. His chest continued to push up until his ribs broke apart. In an explosion of blood, Wilson's chest burst from the center. Blood burst form his mouth, spraying Sam and Merik. The lab was sent into an eerie moment of silence, before Wilson's thrashing grew more violent. His open chest lay exposed to all. Sam watched as something inside Wilson's chest moved through Wilson's entire body. She watched the dark tentacles weaved through every arm, every leg, all the way to his brain.

"Get back!" Sam screamed, pushing Merik from Wilson.

They watched as Wilson continued to thrash against the ground, beating against everything in his reach. The tentacles surging through his body bulged the surface of his skin, breaking through in some parts, and spreading. Skin skin became a mash of tan and black. He rolled violently, kicking the gurney. His neck twisted around as the tentacle broke through the skin. And suddenly, he stopped.

Sam and Merik watched Wilson closely, but he stayed still.

"What the fuck was that?" Vera asked, pushing the curtain back. Her eyes fell to Wilson's mangled and mutilated body. "Oh my god."

"We...we have to tell the others." Sam said. She looked up as Vera. "My comm. It's by your bed."

Vera nodded slowly. "Right. I got it." She turned and ran back to her gurney.

Sam looked back at Wilson. "Is he dead?"

Merik shook his head. He moved closer and pressed his fingers to Wilson's neck.

Wilson's arm suddenly sprang to life, latching onto Merik's neck. Merik's cry was cut off by Wilson's grip. Merik clawed at Wilson's hand, trying to free himself. Wilson stared at Merik for a moment. He hurled him across the room, tearing the curtains from the ceiling, and crashing through one of the consoles. The force sent Merik head first through the console, breaking through the outer shell and in the interior components. Sparks burst from the computer, flying through the air.

Sam screamed and crawled away from Wilson. Wilson turned to her almost instantly. He stood up, his face half composed of the foreign tissue. Sam frantically crawled away, tipping over the exam tray, sending its contents scattering to the floor. Her fingers stumbled upon one of the scalpel handles. Sam picked it up and frantically threw it at Wilson. The scalpel flew through the air at Wilson, but the man easily caught it just inches from his face. Sam gasped in horror as Wilson lowered the scalpel and dropped it to the ground.

"Hey!"

Wilson turned just as no less than three surgical knives embedded themselves into his face. Wilson's head snapped back from the impact. Blood trailed from the incision points, running down his face. His body swayed upright for a moment and then collapsed onto the floor in front of Sam. Sam exhaled shakily and turned. Vera stood ten feet from her, breathing heavily. She turned to Sam and moved to her side.

"You alright?" she asked.

Sam nodded slowly. She looked over Vera's shoulder toward Wilson's body. "Is he?"

Vera looked back. "Yeah. He's not coming back from that one." She stood up, helping Sam to her feet.

"Did you get through to John?" Sam asked.

"I got him, but when I heard all this, I left the comm." Vera explained. She turned back toward her gurney. "John probably heard the fight. He's probably on his way back-where's Foster?"

Sam turned to Foster's bed. It was completely empty. "Oh shit."

Vera grabbed one of the knives form the floor and lifted her arm in front of Sam. "Stay behind me."

Sam looked around the room. It wasn't overly sized, but she couldn't see Foster at all, worse yet, she couldn't hear another heartbeat. She could hear Vera's and Merik's, but not Foster's. "Where is he?"

Vera shook her head. "I don't know."

That was the scariest fact of all. Through the all the commotion of Wilson's rampage, Foster had been left to his own devices. No one had seen Foster escape, nor had they noticed where he had gone. Vera suddenly felt herself living through her nightmare. Foster was somewhere in the room. He was watching them, hunting them. Vera took a deep breath and thought. There were only so many places a person-demented or otherwise- could hide in the infirmary. But he wasn't just hiding, no. He was hunting too. And a hunter would take a position that would advantage him. No place in their immediate line of sight would suffice for him. Vera felt her blood turn to ice. The bastard wasn't on the ground. She gripped the scalpel and hurled it up to the ceiling. The knife clattered just inches from Foster, who was crouching on the ceiling. Foster looked at the knife and down at the women. He snarled viciously, drooling blood down his face. Just like Wilson, his body had contorted and morphed with the tentacles inside of him.

"Run!" Vera ordered. She pushed Sam back.

Foster dropped from the ceiling, landing in front of Vera. Vera wasted no time in attacking. She swung her arm at Foster, driving the blade over his chest. They watched in horror as the wound knitted itself together in seconds. Foster grabbed Vera's wrist and twisted. Bones shattered. Vera's scream filled the infirmary. Foster released her wrist and kicked her in the chest. The force launched Vera into the back wall. The collision her body made echoed through the entire infirmary. Sam watched in horror as Vera hit the wall and collapsed onto the floor. She see's the knife on the floor just inches from her feet. Sam dove for the knife, catching the metal handle in her grasp. Gripping it tightly, She drove it through Foster's shoe.

Foster looked down at Sam. He pulled back his boot, ripping the scalpel out in the process. He swung his leg back and slammed it into Sam's chest. The force sent Sam sliding across the floor toward Vera. The kick knocked the air out of Sam's lungs. She coughed painfully, trying to breathe. She clutched the scalpel tighter in her hand. She forced herself upright as Foster charged her. He grabbed her wrist and slammed her back first into the wall. Foster's grasp ripped the scalpel from Sam's hand. He stabbed Sam through the hand, pinning her hand against the wall. Sam screamed as the knife sliced through her right hand. Foster grabbed the handle and bent the edge, prevent Sam from sliding her hand off. With both hands, Foster grabbed Sam's face, forcing her mouth open. Sam tried to fight back, but the pressure on her skull was too intense to break from. Foster opened his mouth and leaned toward Sam. His jaw slowly began to stretch toward Sam's mouth. Sam struggled to free herself, but Foster tightened his hold on her head. She closed her eyes tightly. She could feel the mouth easing into hers. The three tubes crawled down her neck, suffocating her.

Suddenly, Sam felt a gust of air blow in front of her face. The pressure of the tubes ceased pushing down her throat. Sam opened her eyes to see Foster's mouth had been cut off. He turned his head from Sam. Sam followed with her eyes. Vera stood several feet from them, her arm extended.

"Get the fuck off her!" Vera shouted. She sprinted at them, hurling herself into Foster.

They hit the floor, Vera on top of Foster. Foster threw Vera from him, tossing her across the floor. Vera rolled onto her knees and sprinted again, picking up another knife along the way. She gripped it tightly and charged. Foster climbed to his feet and turned to her. Vera dropped to her knees and slid across the floor. She drove the knife into Foster's knee and broke it off into his left. She spun toward his back and drover her knee into the back of his. Foster dropped to his knee and turned on Vera. He threw himself at her, catching his hands around her throat. Vera gasped as his grip immediately cut off her air. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong. She dragged one of her legs up near him in an attempt to push him off. He squeezed her throat, hard enough to crush her trachea. Vera gasped helplessly for air. She closed her eyes tightly and reached into her boot. Her fingers skimmed over the hilt of her back up knife. She tugged harder, trying to use what little oxygen she had left, and pulled the knife from her boot. Vera opened her eyes and grabbed Foster's collar. Gripping the knife in her other hand, she drove it up into Foster's chin. Foster jerked form the impact, but kept gripping her throat. Blood spilled down his chin and over her hand. Vera jerked the knife higher into his chin, trying to drive it into his brain, but the bastard kept coming. He moved his hands up to her head and slammed her head back against the floor. Vera breathlessly cried out in pain. The infirmary spun around her, but she held onto the knife for her life.

Sam grabbed Foster by the top of his head and drove the bent scalpel into his skull. Foster jerked, his entire body seizing. Sam broke the scalpel off into his head and drove the second half into the side of his skull. Foster's grip on Vera's neck lessened. Vera pushed him off, letting him fall to the floor in a bloody mess. She coughed painfully several times, finally able to breathe. Vera kicked Foster's body from her and crawled over to Sam, who had finally fished out Foster's second mouth from her throat.

"You.." Vera coughed again. "you okay?"

Sam didn't answer. She stared at Foster's dead body.

Vera reached over and grabbed Sam's arm. "Sam!"

Sam jerked. She pushed Vera's arm from her and staggered to her feet. She stumbled across the room toward the sink and vomited. Her throat burned as she purged everything from her system. Her hands trembled against the sink. She coughed painfully, spitting everything that remained in her mouth. She dropped to her knees at the sink, bringing her knees up to her chest. Her chest heaved heavily as a sob escaped her lips. Sam gripped her legs tightly as she broke into tears. She buried her face into her knees and cried. Never in her life had she ever been so scared before. She felt and arm wrap around her shoulder. Sam turned to look at Vera. The Russian's face mirrored her own, terrified and tear streaked.

"We're okay." Vera said.

Sam leaned her head against Vera's shoulder and continued to cry.

"We're okay." Vera repeated. "We're okay."

* * *

I warned you the gore was coming. not as bad as what I typically write though. get that adrenaline going through you yet? Oh, Merik's not dead! just knocked out.

Oh look, Vera's dreaming too. I wonder what that means? hope you guys loved this!


	14. The Mutation

Nothing about the situation was okay. Nothing. The tunnel had brought up more questions that it had answered. And there were no more answers to be found in the tunnel. That was all before Vera had tried to contact John through the comms. John had still been inside the dig when Vera had tried to raise him. When John tried to respond, all he had been able to hear was a series of screams and collisions. He all but stabbed the code into the nanowall controls. The second the wall dematerialized, John realized how grave their situation had been. He walked through the wall and entered the infirmary.

All at once, the magnitude struck him. The infirmary was in shambles. The curtains had been ripped from the ceiling. Several gurneys had been upturned. Divots and cracks lined the walls of the room. Tools were scattered throughout the room. But the more evident of the situation, was the noxious smell that filled his lungs. John had never smelt something more vile. It was a putrid scent of decaying flesh, rancid blood, and melting ozone. John stopped several steps from the nanowall and surveyed everything.

Stijn entered behind him. "Shit. What happened?"

"A number of things." Merik answered. He was standing at the main console.

Sam stood beside him, watching the screen. Vera sat on the desk in front of him, staring down at the floor. One of her knees was bent over the desks surface, while the other hung down above the floor. Each one of them bore the appearance that something had happened. Merik had a trail of blood running down the back of his neck that stained his shirt. Sam's sleeve and wrist were covered in black blood. Her hair hung at odd angles from her pony and her face held visible signs that she had been crying up to a few minutes ago. Her right cheek held a black stain that had been attempted to be cleaned away. Vera's front was also covered in blood, black blood. Her neck was heavily bruised, nearly matching the shade of her shirt. A trail of blood ran down the back of her neck, red blood. Her own. Her boot knife was clutched tightly in her left hand while it was settled on top of her knee. Neither she, nor Sam found the strength to look up.

"Start talking." Stijn said.

Merik looked up from the console. He motioned to his left. Stijn and John followed his gesture and looked. Their eyes instantly fell on the dead, mutated, bodies of Foster and Wilson. "We were...attacked by your men, Stijn."

Stijn frowned, taking in the disgusting mutation. "What the fuck?"

"They mutated." Vera said. Her voice was barely over a whisper.

"I can see that. Stijn stated. He walked over to Sam and looked her over.

"She means the strain mutated." Sam replied. She looked up at them. "The **Chromosome** inside them mutated."

The room fell silent. John stared down at the mutated soldiers. Their half mutated face were covered in blood, one held the tools used to kill them still embedded in its skull while the other had three knives embedded in its face. The blood around the wounds was black and think and had oozed down their faces. Their bodies had been fused by a strange tentacle. He could see the bulge of the tentacle throughout their entire body. But when John spotted the gaping hole in Wilson's chest, he froze. He'd seen that same wound in his dreams, in Vera. John staggered back from the bodies, bumping loudly into one of the gurney's, startling everyone but Vera.

"What the hell happened to them?" John demanded. He walked over to the desk and looked over to Sam and Merik.

Sam stared at him, her eyes full of fear and guilt. She turned to Merik. "Tell him."

Merik swallowed and looked up at John. "What Vera said was correct. The chromosome in Foster and Wilson mutated. It was the chromosome mutation that caused **this** drastic mutation."

"How?"

"The creatures that were attached to them." Sam answered. "After Merik removed the one from Foster, he examined it."

"When the creature latched onto his face, it forced a tube down his face that supplied oxygen." Merik explained.

Stijn nodded. "Right, it was keeping them alive."

"Yes. I believed it was a defensive tactic, a way to disable the threat until their nest could be relocated." he continued. "I couldn't have been more wrong. Inside that tube were three smaller ones. Two of which were used to supply oxygen."

"What was the third one for?" John asked, but he already had a feeling.

Merik took a deep breath. "The third was implanted into the chest cavity, where it laid...something inside of the men. What it laid, theses...eggs, when they hatched they released something into the body which, in turn, caused the mutation."

John looked back at Foster and Wilson. "Can you find out what caused it?"

"I'm analyzing the eggs as we speak, but I've never seen anything like this before." Merik said.

"Wait," Stijn said. He turned toward Vera. "Vera was in the nest with Foster and Wilson. Why hasn't she mutated with them?"

John looked to Vera, who still refused to look up. He noticed Sam looked away as well.

"She had something on her side." Merik answered. "Apparently these creatures have the decency to leave an expecting mother alone."

Vera winced.

"What?"

"Merik!"

John stared at Vera. Had he heard that correctly? Was Merik hinting that Vera was...could she really be...

"Bullshit!" Stijn snapped.

Merik shook his head. "After you soldier's were subdued, Sam and Vera wondered the same as you, Stijn. So we decided to run a bio scan of Vera and found that-"

"That I **am** pregnant." Vera said. She looked up from the floor. "About ten weeks from my due date...in fact."

John closed his eyes and covered his face in his hands. This was not what he was expecting. Not in a million years.

"It's the same reason why her healing was slowed so dramatically." Sam explained. "The body focused on the babies survival first then hers."

"I think they've got it, Sam." Vera said. "We have a big problem now."

"I don't understand how the chromosome mutated up here." Stijn said. "Nothing new was added to the environment."

"Nothing necessarily needs to be added to the environment for the chromosome to mutate." Vera explained. "Look at the cold, there are millions of strains, all with the basic code for it, but each one is its own. Mutated on its own. Apparently C24 has found a way to adapt as well."

"What did you find in the nest chamber?" Sam asked.

Stijn motioned to Foster and Wilson. "Them, a whole lot of creatures, but nothing else."

At that, Vera finally looked up. "Nothing?"

"Nothing." John answered. "Whatever you saw in the tunnel was long gone by the time we got there."

"That gives us a whole new line of problems." Vera said. " These creatures triggered a mutation from the inside of Foster and Wilson. It didn't just infect them, it caused **their** twenty-fourth chromosome to mutate. It's an infection that'll take everyone, even super humans."

"We have to evacuate the facility." Sam said. "Get the refugees back to earth for their protection."

Stijn shook his head." That's easier said than done, Sam."

"They don't have a choice anymore." John said. "Alert the station; in one hour, every person is to be in the ARC chamber, or back on earth. I don't care what you tell them, but get them back to earth."

Stijn nodded pulled out his comm. He turned and walked toward the door.

"I'll finish my analysis before leaving." Merik said. "We'll need all the information we can get on this mutation."

"I'll help." Sam said. The two immediately return their attention to the computer.

Vera launched herself off the desk and walked down the infirmary toward her gurney. John silently followed her. The tension between was high, already thick enough to cut. Neither said a word nor looked at the other as the reached the last gurney. Vera lifted her foot and stepped on the gurney she slid her knife back into her boot and dropped it back onto the floor. She swallowed nervously.

"You gonna say something?" she asked. Her voice wavered.

"What do you want me to say?" John asked. His voice low and cold.

"Something." Vera answered. "Anything. Yell. Scream. But say **something**, John."

"How long have you known?" he deadpanned.

Vera spun around to face. Whatever she had expected, it certainly hadn't been that. "I didn't."

John said nothing and turned away from her. He started toward the nanowall.

Vera followed after him. She grabbed his arm and turned him back around to face her. "you honestly think that I knew about this?"

"I wouldn't put it past you." John snapped. "You've made yourself a reputation for hiding things."

His words stung deep, but Vera tried to push past them. "Yes, I kept things from you. From the unit. I had my reasons for that and you damn well know it."

"Right." John snorted bitterly. "Because every person would hide a dislocated shoulder injury."

"This is nothing like that." Vera replied.

"You're right, it's not!" John yelled. "It's whole lot bigger, Vera!"

Sam and Merik both looked over in John and Vera's direction, but neither soldier seemed to care.

"You expect me to believe that this whole time, you **never** knew you were pregnant?" he demanded.

"I didn't!" Vera defended.

"Bullshit!" John snapped. "Ten weeks away. Ten weeks!"

"I would **never** keep something like this a secret." Vera pleaded.

"How the hell am I supposed to trust you?" John demanded. "You've been lying to me for the past four years. Injuries, facts, deaths. You've kept them all from me and you expect me to trust you."

"Have I given you any reason to distrust me these past few months?" Vera asked.

"Months isn't going to make up for years of lies." John replied. "Not when its second nature to you."

Nothing less of a bullet could have hurt more than the words John had spat into her face. The entire room was silent. Sam watched John and Vera with a heavy heart. She wanted to tell her brother he was being an asshole, that Vera **didn't** know until today, but after witnessing the argument, she realized that no matter what she told him, John wasn't going to believe her. It was that same painful conclusion that Vera came to. She could explain that those lies were for their protection just as it was for hers. She could tell him that he didn't need to delve into her past, that it was hers to know. But the cold, infuriated stare that he gave her, told her it would all end the same way; John would continue to believe that she had known about the pregnancy the entire time. And worse, that she would not have told him. This was a battle she was never going to win and that knowledge was more painful than having everything she's done thrown back at her face.

"_Vy oshibayetes' ."_ she whispered.

John shook his head. _"Ne v etot raz ."_

Suddenly the lights shut off. Everyone looked up at the lights. Emergency lights initiated, illuminating the room with an eerie red glow. An electronic alarm sounded throughout the room, echoing loudly. Sam's eyes grew large with alarm.

"Shit." she muttered. She sprinted from the console.

"What's going on?" John asked.

"It's a Code Red." Sam answered. She sprinted for the door. "It means one of the living blocks was shut down."

John and Vera gave one another a brief panicked glance before sprinting after Sam, their personal dilemma's, momentarily forgotten.

* * *

okay...hope that wasn't too cliché there. oh the drama and horror to come! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! man i'm psycho. hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! not sure when the next one will be up. hopefully this weekend.

translations:

You're wrong. _Vy oshibayetes' ._

Not this time. _Ne v etot raz ._


	15. Outbreak

Stijn stood in the ARC chamber as the alarm sounded. The main lighting cut throughout the entire chamber. His head snapped up as the emergency lights kicked in. In the months of being stationed on Olduvai, never had the system gone Code Red. The alarm sounded throughout the entire dome, alerting everyone to the danger. Stijn quickly looked down at the console.

"_Stijn, do you copy?"_ John asked.

"I copy."

"_You in the control room?"_

"Affirmative."

"_Where's the source of the Code Red?"_ John asked.

Stijn pushed the consoles operator from his desk and took over the controls. He typed quickly. "Searching now."

The screens on the console switched their views, focusing on the living blocks. They jumped from the differing blocks, until finally stopping at the source. Stijn felt his blood turn to ice as he stared at the screens. Each screen held an identical image of Foster and Wilson. The halls and rooms of the block were filled with men , women, and children immobilized by the same creatures from the tunnel. Each one had a creature secured to their face, fallen where they had been attacked. The footage passed through numerous rooms of the block, show an identical image, one after another. An entire block, lost to these things. Seventy-five men, women, and children. Seventy-five refugees that he come to know, lost to these monsters.

"_Stijn?"_ John called.

"Block Five." Stijn answered. He hesitated to continue, but did so. "The entire block has been compromised."

There was a moment of pause. _"You're sure?"_

"Positive." he answered bitterly. "Commencing block lock-down."

"_Lock down?" _Vera's voice came over the comms.

"The entire block is locked down for the facilities protection and a choice is made for the refugees inside." Stijn answered. "It was designed for quarantines of diseases."

"_And what's this verdict?"_ John asked.

"Termination." Stijn answered. "The ventilation system of the block is cut off and the filtration ceases."

"_So they suffocate to death?" _Vera asked.

"It's that or become Foster and Wilson." Stijn answered. He quickly entered the lock down sequence code into the system.

"_Wait, we can't just kill them."_ Sam said. _"We might be able to save them."_

"_How? You saw what Foster and Wilson are capable of, Sam. Imagine what seventy-five more would be like."_ Vera replied.

"_We can't just kill seventy-five refugees!"_

"_**This **__death is better than what will happen when those things came off!" _

"_Stijn, start the lock down."_ John said.

"_John!"_

"Copy that." Stijn finalized the sequence. He activated the code and watched through the screens. Every door of the block sealed shut. Every vent out into the main filtration system was closed off. Every place where oxygen could reach, it was enclosed, sealing every immobilized refugee inside. Stijn lowered his head, taking his eyes from the screen. He buried his face into his hands, leaning over the desk. In the years of working for Intelligence, he had been responsible for a lot of different guilt driving messes, but this one. This one action had filled his very core of guilt. There was no way to talk down any guilt. If the block remained opened, the tenants would escape and infect the remaining population. But the knowledge did nothing for him. Seventy-five refugees were simply sacrificed for the remaining populations survival. His one solace was the knowledge that none of the tenants would know what had become of them. "Block lock down complete. Let's get the others to the ARC."

* * *

Sam, John, and Vera sprinted across the gardens toward the living blocks. The alarm echoed throughout the entire dome, alerting everyone station wide of the threat. The solar lighting switched off, initiating a series of red lights throughout the entire dome. Everyone who was not inside their block, watched the new lighting initiation with fear. Children clung to their mothers in fear, staring up at the red lights that had engulfed everything.

"Stijn, do you copy?" John called through the comms, praying the man was still at the ARC.

"_I copy."_

"You in the control room?"

"_Affirmative."_

"Where's the source of the Code Red?" John asked. They were dead on a visual, but if Stijn was still on-site, they would know which direction they needed to go.

"_Searching now."_ Stijn answered.

They raced across the garden toward the living blocks, waiting for Stijn to reply. They weaved through the small gatherings of refugees, all seemingly having stopped their train of thoughts at the lighting situation. Stijn's lack of an answer made John nervous. They reached the blocks and paused for a moment. Each block appeared in order, giving no sign of incursion or trouble.

"Which block?" Vera asked.

"Stijn?" John called.

"_Block Five."_ Stijn answered.

"Five." John relayed.

They turned toward the fifth block. It was the last unit settled on the left in the back. Vera sprinted off ahead of them toward the block. She drew her gun, finally carying a useful weapon on her, and raced toward the block entrance. John heard the hesitation through the comm. Just before he asked, Stijn returned over the comms. _"The entire block has been compromised."_

John stopped in his tracks, his blood turned to ice."You're sure?"

"_Positive."_ came Stijn bitter response.

"What?" Sam asked.

John looked up at Sam. "The blocks been compromised."

Sam's eyes grew wide in shock. "What?"

John sprinted toward the block. Vera was heading into a trap again. He took the tight corner and spotted Vera nearing the entrance. He pushed himself ahead and threw himself into Vera. The two collided together, John's force throwing them to the ground. John hit first as Vera rolled over him. The force ripped the ear connection from the comm, turning it into a traditional radio.

Vera looked over to John, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "What the hell?"

"The blocks been compromised." John answered. He pushed her from the entrance even further.

"_Commencing block lock-down."_ Stijn said through the comm.

Vera frowned and took the comm from John. "Lock down?"

"_The entire block is locked down for the facilities protection and a choice is made for the refugees inside." _Stijn answered. _"It was designed for quarantines of diseases."_

Vera nodded slowly in understanding, but her voice was far from understanding. "Nice backup plan."

"And what's this verdict?" John asked, sensing the direness of the situation. In complete honestly, there could only be one course of action to take.

"_Termination."_ Stijn answered. Vera winced and John sighed heavily. _"The ventilation system of the block is cut off and the filtration ceases."_

"So they suffocate to death?" Vera asked, her voice raising in pitch. After everything these people were going through, they had to lose everything to these creatures.

"_It's that or become Foster and Wilson."_ Stijn answered.

"Wait, we can't just kill them." Sam said, finally regrouping with them. "We might be able to save them."

"How?" Vera demanded. "You saw what Foster and Wilson are capable of, Sam. Imagine what seventy-five more would be like."

"We can't just kill seventy-five refugees!" Sam replied.

"**This **death is better than what will happen when those things came off!"

It was a thought that no one wanted, but at the cost of the seventy-five refugees, it simply wasn't that easy. At least- not to Sam. This wasn't a military operation this was a refugee station, the only one that was known. If they reverted back to their old ways then what was the point of it all?

"Stijn, start the lock down." John said.

"John!"

"_Copy that."_

Within seconds, the main doors to the block dropped. The sound of the door sealing echoed through the area, ominously sending word that the facility is not invincible as they had believed. Heavy, thick steel plates dropped on all sides of the block unit, covering every window, every inch of the block until it was nothing more than a steel cube standing tall. All eyes were on the sealed block, many watching in fear. Vera stepped toward the entrance that was now sealed; seventy-five people had been locked inside. Seventy-five survivors who had managed to get as far as Olduvai, simply to die here. Sam shook her head in disgust. The lights reingaged as the lock down finished.

"_Block lock down complete. Let's get the others to the ARC."_ Stijn said.

"Copy that." John replied. He turned to Sam and touched her arm.

Sam pulled away from John. "You shouldn't have come back."

John frowned. Vera turned toward them.

"We had everything here." Sam said. "Everything we could need. Then you come back and ruin it."

"Sam"-

"Just like everything else." She spat. She looked up at John, fury filling her eyes. "You should've stayed on Earth, out of our way up here!"

"If we hadn't come back your facility would be over run with those things by now." Vera stated. She stepped away from the block. "None of your people knew about the filtration system until we got here."

"And your way of fixing it is sacrificing seventy-five innocent people!" Sam replied.

"Look around Samantha!" Vera demanded. "Does it look like those things care if they're innocent? They still attacked them and they'll still mutate them! Those demons don't give a fuck about innocence, they just want to spread the infection!"

Suddenly the lights shut down again. The alarm sounded through the dome and the red lighting initiated once again.

"Shit." John snapped. "Stijn, we got another Code Red?"

"_Blocks two and six have been compromised!" _Stijn answered.

The lock down initiated once again. The steel plates dropped all around the sixth and second block, sealing everyone inside.

"I don't understand. How could they get into the other blocks?" Sam asked.

"Oh my god." Vera muttered. "The main filtration system. The vents leading to the block units. Three covers were opened when I went in. That's how they got into the blocks undetected."

"We gotta shut down the entire system." John said.

"We shut that down CO2 levels will rise within hours." Sam explained.

**BANG!**

Suddenly the steel plate shuddered from the inside. Something heavy slammed into it. The plate bent under the stress of the force, bulging outward. John, Sam, and Vera stared at the plating in disbelief.

**BANG!**

Another force caused another bulge several inches from the first. Then another, and another. The plate resembled a sheet of bubble-wrap, waiting for someone to puncture it.

"They're still alive." Sam whispered in horror.

"Stijn, shut down the entire filtration system. Seal every lab, every block, even if there's people inside." John ordered. He pushed Sam and Vera from the block. "Sound the evacuation!"

"What?" Sam demanded.

**BANG!**

"The blocks will buy them some time with the filtration shut down." Vera said. She grabbed Sam's arm and dragged her from the block. "We need to evacuate everyone else. Move!"

The alarm sounded. Everyone that was outside the blocks began rushing toward the Arc chamber. John, Vera, and Sam remained near the block proximity. Sam ushered the refugees toward the ARC. **BANG!** Another strike hit the door, echoing above the alarm. John and Vera looked toward the sound. Refugees screamed as the beating continued within the block as they raced toward the ARC chamber. People weaved through the gardens, tripping over one another, over their own fears and feet. John and Vera readied their weapons.

"You think those things didn't appreciate us turning off the filters?" Vera asked. She gripped her gun tightly between her hands and watched the path between the block units.

**BANG!**

John cast her a brief glance. "I think they're a little pissed, yeah."

"_Grimm, Dimitrov, I've got soldiers heading your way. Providing cover for refugees."_ Stijn called.

**BANG!**

"Copy that." John called.

Suddenly the banging ended. There was a moment of eerie silence through the facility. John and Vera shared an uncertain gaze. Just as quickly as it began, the silence ended with an ear splitting sound of ripping metal. Whatever had been beating against the doors was down tearing them open. It had to be strong. The plates couldn't be less than ten inches thick...just like the door to Carmacks lab had been. John and Vera stood ready, watching the paths for the incursion. The sound of the block door ceased, leaving them in silence once more. The sound of panicking refugees continued to sound behind them as they tried to reach the ARC. John took the first step in approaching the block. He moved silently toward the block. If He could strike first, they might stand a chance against whatever they were up against.

"Heads!" Vera screamed.

John snapped his head up. On the roof was something he'd never seen before. It crawled on four heavily clawed legs, probably four and a half feet high. Its body was sleek and lean. Its head was overly proportioned for its body, supporting a set of massive jaws. The lower jaw protruded from his mouth. Two large fangs were on either end of its lowers jaw, marking the beginning and end of the numerous sharp teeth on the jawline. The upper jaw was completely concealed within its mouth, save for the two massive fangs that hung down outside of the lower two fangs. Its eyes were hidden within its face. A large spiked tail swung around in the air above it. Whatever it was, it had managed to scale the walls of the sealed block. It stared down at John with curiosity. John slowly lifted his gun toward the creature. The creature opened its mouth. The upper fangs moved up, exposing its jaw of razor sharp teeth. The lower saw opened sideways, splitting in half. It hunched its front legs, digging its claws into the steel. Rows of spikes emerged from its back and traveled down its spine. With a deep breath, the creature roared viciously.

Vera opened fire, hitting the creature in the body. It turned its attention toward her, giving John time to move form its reach. The creature snarled and began climbing down the building in front of them. Its claws sunk through the metal shield, easily giving under the creatures force. Its tail swings around its body. The spikes rattle along its spine, almost like a rattlesnake. Vera set her jaw and fired again. The creature ducked the bullet and flicked its tail toward her. The spikes on the tails end broke off with great force. They flew through the air, straight for Vera. Vera dropped to one knee, ducking the sharp spikes as they sliced through the air. She felt the air around her face from the speed. She exhaled slowly, counting the seven spikes that had nearly ripped through her body. Vera turned back to the creature, that now was running toward her. Vera brought up her gun up and prepared to fire again.

An explosion of blood suddenly washed over her from the left, catching her off guard. Vera turned her gaze, finding a body of a second creature that had attempted to catch her off guard. A secondary wave washed over her from in front. The body of the first creature struck the earth and slid to her knees. Vera looked over her shoulder, finding several soldiers reaching her and John.

"Vera move!" John called, coming up on her side. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to feet. "We need to get to the ARC!"

The turned their backs to the blocks and sprinted toward the soldiers. Vera threw a glance back over her shoulder. Several more of the cat-like creatures had emerged as had a few other unseen creatures. Vera grabbed John's arm, catching his attention. From the block's location came a horde of mutated Imps, Hell Knights, and several unidentifiable creatures. Each as horrific as the last. The Imps stood at varying sizes, ranging from four to six and a half feet tall. Bitter recognition crossed John's mind when he realized their sizes were due to the hosts original height. Men, women...even children. Their skin was a sickly white color, nearly luminescent in the red lighting. Their heads were a large, pointed face shape. The mouth was a disgusting deformity, ranging from the base of the head down to the top of its chest. Massive, jagged teeth protruded from the mouth. Some even had as much as a second mouth in the chest than a large singular one. A large tongue emerged form the mouth, lapping at the air. The Knights still stood at their traditional height, not withheld by the hosts height. The muscle, bone, and skin looked as if it had been fused in one form. Their skulls were small and cold, black eyes stood out from their sockets. Their lips had receded into their skulls, leaving a mouth of crimson jaws and malicious teeth waiting to tear through flesh. A small horde of serpents and spiders emerged in their wake.

The mutations of the Imps and Knights was nothing in comparison to the mutations of what could only be assumed to a mutation of both creatures. The tail was made of bone spanning a great distance of nearly half its body. Its face was much like a spiders, bleeding, large fangs protruded from its face around its mouth. Its body had two arms, while their legs protruded from its back. Its tail slid across the earth, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. It stood with the aid of its legs

"It's mutated further." Vera stated.

"And faster than before." John confirmed. He pulled Vera. "Fall back. Evacuate through the ARC!"

"Move!" one of the soldier's yelled.

It was that call that caught the demons attentions. One of the large mouthed Imps turned toward them. Its mouth opened widely and out erupted the all too familiar scream. The scream rang out over the alarm, sending sonic tremors coursing through every soldier. Vera dropped to her knees, clutching her ears. She doubled over, trying to protect herself as much as possible. John caught the action and remembered what Sam had said just an hour ago. _'The body focused on the babies survival first then hers.'_ The baby. There was not telling what the sonic scream could do to it, or Vera with her healing delayed.

John stepped in front of her, shielding her from what he could. He raised his weapon and fired. The bullet cut through the wave and struck the Imp in the the throat. The bullet ripped through the open mouth and exited through the back of the skull. The back of the skull was blown from its head in a rain of bone, blood, and brain matter. Its head was thrown back from the force of the bullet, silencing its scream in an instant. All infected watched as the creatures lifeless body hit the earth.

Vera lowered her hands and raised her head. "I think...you just pissed them off."

The silence was short lived. The second the creatures lifeless body hit the earth, the others burst into attack. The cats leapt toward them, sending a hail of spikes flying through the air. The serpents and spiders leapt from their perch. The soldiers opened fire, killing what they could. The Knights took charge and raced across the earth toward them. A hail of spikes impaled one of the soldiers, striking him through his skull. The larger of the spider creatures scurried across the earth at terrifying speed.

"Fall back!" John ordered. He pushed Vera to her feet in the ARCs direction.

They sprinted toward the ARC as the infected perused them. The earth trembled beneath the pace of the Knights trailing after them. Spikes and serpents flew through the air. Nearly half of the soldiers had already fallen. One of the Knights slammed into another soldier, driving him to the ground as one of the serpents coiled around his neck. A Cat Imp pounced upon another, coiling its spiked tail around the soldier's neck. John pushed Vera toward a series of close settled trees. They ducked behind the trucks, hidden from sight. John looked from behind the tree. He watched the slaughter of the final soldier. John turned to look ahead. With the distance between them and the ARC, and the rate of slaughter of the infected, they weren't going to make it.

"Shit." John muttered, leaning against the tree. He looked down to Vera, who knelt behind the next tree. "We're not gonna make it."

Vera looked up at him and shook her head.

He ripped the comm from his belt. "Stijn, what's the evacuation status?"

"_Every refugee that's reached the ARC has been sent through."_ Stijn replied. _"Sam and I are waiting for you."_

"Seal the ARC." John said.

"_What about-"_

"Seal it!" John ordered. "We're not gonna make it. Not yet."

Sam's voice came over the comm. _"John we're not gonna seal it. Not without-"_

"Sam, if you don't seal the ARC, those things will get to Earth." John said. "Don't take the risk. Seal it."

Vera looked out from behind the tree. The infected were spreading out, searching for their next target. "We can't stay, we need to move."

John nodded down at her. "Stijn, sealed the ARC." He shut the comm down and dropped it to the ground. "We need to find a place to hide."

Vera searched the nearby area. "The infirmary." She turned back to him. "It's our best chance."

John looked out toward the infirmary. It was a good distance from them and there were Imps and Knights in their path. It wouldn't be easy, but it was their best chance. John nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

oh my gosh this chapter was a pain. I hope you guys don't hate it. I do apologize because I wrote a good chunk of this while watching another...less violent movie. I dn't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try to get it up as soon as I can.

oh, if you have any name ideas for the new creatures, let me know. I was thinking of using Russian words to name them.


	16. Infirmary

In a matter of minutes, the infected were everywhere. Mute Imps, Knights, Rot's, Skriles, in between mutations, Kotenka's and serpents had taken through the entire dome, hunting down whomever had not reached the ARC or the safety of the blocks before they'd been healed. The destruction that followed was fast, and horrific. Bodies littered the earth, ravaged by the infected or infected just the same. A Mute Knight passed a small group of trees. It passed halfway and stopped. It sniffed the air of the trees and stepped toward the arbors.

Vera leapt from the treetop, brandishing her knife in her hand. She dropped onto its shoulders, wrapping her legs tightly around its neck, and drove her knife through its skull. Not a sound came from the Knight as the blade pierced through its skull. Black blood seeped from its wound around the blade. Its massive body swayed from its lifelessness. Vera leapt from its body and dove behind the trees again. The Knight hit the earth, polluting its lush color with the vileness of its blood. Vera pressed her back against the tree, listening for any sign of closing infected. She lifted her gaze to the trees. "Clear."

John dropped down from the treetop several feet from her. "Should've let me kill it."

"Didn't think I could?" Vera asked, suppressing a hint of scorn in her voice.

"I was more concerned about that thing getting a clean swipe at your stomach." John answered. He slipped out from the cover. "Should've sent you through the ARC the second the alarm went off."

Vera emerged behind him. "Good luck with that."

They raced across the field toward the Infirmary. The nanowall was engaged, but none of the doors were sealed. John couldn't recall any of the main lab structures holding the same blast doors as the living blocks. Still, the infirmary was in the open and there was no cover for the two from their cover and the door. It was open ground, open hunting ground with the mutant infection spawn roaming the dome. Vera ran alongside John, still brandishing her bloody knife. Sweat ran down her face, creating clear coloring beneath the blood. Her hair stuck to the blood on her face and neck. John glanced over his shoulder at their surroundings, so far they were lucky.

They reached the nanowall quick enough. Vera leaned against the wall. She brought her boot up and slid her knife back inside and drew her pistol. She stared around them, watching for anything. John moved to the control panel. He punched in the code, but the door didn't open. He tried again, but still the door remained shut.

"Shit." John muttered.

"What?"

"I don't know the code."

Vera glanced toward him. "You've got to be kidding me."

John shook his head. "I wish I were."

Vera turned her head again. Her eyes caught the movement of the trees, where they had been a few moments ago. Vera swallowed nervously and watched as the Kotenka Imp slowly emerged from the treetop, its spiked tail swinging gracefully above its body. "You better get that door open John."

John glanced out and spotted the Kotenka. "Shit."

"How many numbers does the code hold?" Vera asked. She lifted her gun, waiting for a clear shot.

"Six numbers."

Vera shook her head. "That's a big combination window."

"One that we don't have time for." He glanced toward the approaching Kotenka.

The Kotenka moved slowly, but deliberately toward them, stalking its prey. It moved almost like a cat, silently and deadly. Its massive jaws were opened, dripping blood from its dozens of sharp teeth. It flicked its tail violently, sending a hail of spikes toward them.

"Down!" Vera yelled, dropping to the ground.

John ducked as the spikes struck the nanowall behind them. They ricocheted off the wall and fell to the earth. John stood up and resumed his task at the control. He entered a series of numbers, but it failed again. Vera stood and fired two shots at the Kotenka. The Kotenka easily dodged the shots.

"Damn." she muttered. "Get your ass moving with the door John. We got company coming."

"Working on it." John replied tersely. He entered another code. "Dammit! There's three tries left!"

"And I'm almost out." Vera replied. She pushed him forward as another wave of spikes shot toward them. "Try a date!"

"What?"

"A date! A date that is important to Sam!" Vera explained. She fired again, but missed the Kotenka. "She set the damn system right?"

John shook his head and punched in Sam's birthday. Still nothing. "Two left!"

"Keep trying!"

John racked his brain for an important date. He entered his parents anniversary and was once again met with failure. His fist slammed into the panel furiously "Shit!"

The Kotenka shrieked loudly and leapt into the air. It rolled across the earth, suddenly taking on the form of a ball. Its spikes dug into the ground as the beast rolled toward them. Its speed increased, closing the distance faster. Clumps of dirt flew through the air in its wake.

Vera watched horrified at the Kotenka's approach. "John get the wall open now!"

John glanced toward the Kotenka. He stared stunned at the creatures fast and violent approach. He turned his attention back to the panel, searching for some significant date. There had to be one he wasn't thinking of. One that Sam had paid particular attention too. An important one she'd always remember. Then it hit him. John entered in the numbers; the date their parents were killed. He hit the button, entering the code. The wall vanished behind them, opening into the infirmary. In front of them the Kotenka broke from its death roll formation, leaping toward Vera. John threw himself into Vera, pushing her back into the infirmary. The two rolled through the nanowall, shifting from the earth to the cold, hard flood. Both looked up to see the Kotenka leap at them through the nanowall. Vera searched for something. Her hand fumbled with her gun. It was nearly empty and there was no chance she would get an accurate shot at the thing.. Ignoring the irony of the action, Vera hurled her gun at the control panel. The gun slammed into the panel, punching the red button. In an instant, the nanowall solidified, catching the Kotenka in its grasp. The monster shrieked with fury, stuck several feet from its prey. The Kotenka's head, front paws, and tail tip had managed to get through the nanowall. The monster shook violently, trying to escape.

John and Vera sighed heavy as they watched the creature struggle. John rolled off of Vera and rose. He pulled Vera to her feet. He turned back, looking at the control panel. "Did you really throw your gun at the panel?"

Vera gave him an irritated glare. "Hey, you're the one who took his sweet ass time opening the door."

John opened his mouth to reply, but the ratting sound of the Kotenka's tail cut him off. His eyes turned to the creature, zeroing on the shaking spikes at the tail. In a split second, John dove for Vera as the Kotenka shot a series of spikes. The black barbs shot through the air, finding their target in john's back. Four managed to embed themselves in a line up his back. John and Vera his the floor again. John groaned in pain, reaching for the nearest barb, but his reach fell short.

"_Sukin syn!"_ Vera spat. She pushed herself up, taking John under his arm. She helped him from the door, out of the demons range, and onto one of the remaining upright gurneys. She looked at the barbs embedded into his back. They shook ever so slightly, almost too subtle for her eyes to notice. "What the hell?"

"They're digging in deeper." John groaned painfully.

"Alright, hang on." Vera said. She grabbed the barb that had embedded itself just below his shoulder. Her palm wrapped around the black barb. The cold barb ceased shaking in her hand and suddenly turned warm. Suddenly, dozens of tiny barbs burst from the larger one, piercing through Vera's palm and fingers. Vera screamed in pain and pulled her hand back, taking the large barb in the process. The barb lay embedded in her palm. Vera took a deep breath and carefully pried the barb from her hand. Blood dripped onto the floor. _"Sukin syn."_

John looked over his shoulder. "What the hell happened?"

Vera nudged the barb. "Damn things rigged. Might take a bit long."

John shook his head eying her bloodied hand. "I'll get them, don't touch them again."

Vera snorted humorlessly. "Right. You're going to remove them." With her good hand, she pushed him back onto the gurney. She took a deep breath and plucked the next barb free with her injured hand. As before, the barb released a series of smaller ones, piercing through her hand once more. Vera flung the barb from her hand, through managing to break off several smaller barbs into her palm. "See, two left."

With her bloodied hand, Vera took hold of the third barb. Her fingers trembled around the barb, barely grasping it enough. She grit her teeth tight and pulled as hard as she could. The barb slipped form John's back, expanding the smaller barbs into her palm. Vera bit back her groan, but John still heard her loud and clear.

John looked over his shoulder. He watched as Vera managed to remove the barb from her hand, but several smaller barb's still remained. Blood dripped form the barbs onto the floor. Enough was enough. John reached behind his back and found the final barb. The second his hand tightened around the barb, the smaller one expanded, piercing his hand. John grit his teeth and pulled out the final bar. His back healed instantly, allowing him to finally move freely. He sat up on the gurney and swung his legs over the side toward Vera. "None now. How's your hand?"

Vera grimaced. "I can't feel anything."

John reached out and took her hand. The barbs were still embedded into her palm and fingers. There were no less than eight small barbs through her hand, each one slowly trembling, burrowing through her hand. John carefully took note of where each barb was. Several were located just above her wrist on the right side of her palm. "One of the barbs could have punctured one of the branches of the Ulna nerve." He carefully removed the barbs closest to the nerve, dropping them onto the ground. Blood slowly seeped from the opened wounds, adding to the small pool on the floor.

"How much time do we have?" Vera asked.

John shook his head. "There's no telling how long it will take for feeling to come back."

"I wasn't talking about my hand." she answered.

John looked up at her, finding her gaze focused on the door. He followed her gaze to the Kotenka. It still continued to thrash about in the door. "I'm not sure, but we need to kill that thing before it alerts the others."

Vera shrugged. "So shoot it."

"No." John answered. "We need to save ammo."

Vera sighed in frustration. "What then? My knife?"

John looked down at the ground. The larger four barbs lay amongst the blood where Vera had left them. He bent down and picked up one of the barbs. The black barb was heavily weighed in his hand, but did not expand any smaller barbs from its body. Apparently the action was only a one time deal. With the barb in his hand, John hurled it across the room. The barb hit its mark, piercing the Kotenka through its head. The barb struck the nanowall, ending its trajectory. A spray of blood burst from the barbs puncture, painting the nanowall behind it. In an instant, the Kotenka's body fell stiff inside the wall. Its tail gave a final rattle before drooping in death.

"Nice shot." Vera stated. She sighed heavily. "What now? Wait till they get bored? Or wait till the filtration unit suffocates them all and then us?"

John shook his head. "The filtration shut down isn't going to kill them. Just us. We saw proof of that earlier. The mutation must've allowed them to go without oxygen."

"I repeat, what now?"

John took a deep breath. "We have to kill them somehow. We can't risk them getting to earth and mutating there."

"We could destroy the facility." Vera offered. "Course that could entail us dying too."

"Let's save that as a last resort." John replied. He looked down at his watch. "Filtration system shut down nearly twenty minutes ago. That gives us just under four hours to kill these things before CO2 levels kill us. Come on, think."

Vera concentrated. "Alright, we're low on ammunition's, so that rules out a full frontal assault. There are very few places to conceal us, that rules out hiding. We can't stay here for much longer, they take out the nanowall easily." She sighed heavily. "Anything else I should add?"

"We have four hours to live otherwise." John mentioned.

"Of course, how could I forget that?"

John looked around the infirmary. There had to be something on Olduvai that could help them stop the infection from spreading. Something that was right in front of them. He walked from the gurney toward the consoles. There had to be something in the system that could help. John rounded the corner of the main console and stopped short. "Shit!"

Vera's head snapped toward him. "What?"

"It's Merik!" John answered. He rushed behind the console and dropped to his knees. "Get over here!"

Vera sprinted around the console. John was kneeling on the ground beside Merik, who had become a tragic victim to the spider creatures. The tail was wrapped securely around his neck, but in comparison to Foster and Wilson, Merik seemed to be fully aware of what was happening to him. His hands were trying to pry the creature from his neck. "Oh my god."

"Help me get this thing off!" John ordered. He grabbed the tailed tip, prying it from Merik's hands.

Vera knelt down on Merik's other side. "Watch the tail, it'll dig into your arm just like the barbs."

"Pull the fingers back." John said.

Vera wedged her fingers between Merik's skull and its legs, Carefully, though with much more difficulty than the last time, Vera snapped the leg of the spider. It shuddered over Merik's face and spurred into action, releasing its spike from its tail. The spikes dug into John's wrist, but neither soldier ceased their actions. Vera took the next finger into her grasp and fractured it as well, sending another shudder racing through the creatures body. Merik's hand lashed out, grabbing hold of her right wrist. John managed to fully unwind the creatures tail from Merik's neck. With its tail secured to his wrist, John immediately began snapping the legs at a faster pace than Vera. It took only two more broken legs before the creatures grip on Merik's head ceased altogether. John and Vera quickly removed the creature from Merik's face. The long tube slowly slid from the Olduvinian's throat, giving him free range to breathe on his own accord once again. Merik coughed violently as the tube was finally removed from his throat. He released Vera's wrist and clutched his own throat, breathing heavily. Once it was removed from Merik, the creature died in John's grasp. Its body grew lax and slid off John's wrist onto the floor.

"Slow breaths, Merik." John said.

Merik looked up at him. "Thank...thank you." He coughed again.

"What are you still doing here?" Vera asked.

Merik cleared his throat before answering. His voice was horse, but grew strong with the passing seconds. "I was continuing my research when the evacuation sounded. I knew that I would never make it to the ARC in time and decided to remain here. In truth, I had seen your approach when that bloody fucker caught me."

"John we caught it in time." John said.

Merik sighed heavily. "I'm afraid not. You certainly bought me more time than Foster, but nevertheless, I'm going to turn."

Silence befell them.

Vera shook her head. "No. No there has to be something we can do. We stopped it earlier enough we can try-"

Merik caught her by the wrist again. "You already know there is nothing you can do." He looked at her closely. "But there is something I can still do for you."

"What?" John asked.

Merik released Vera and slowly stood up. "I think I know how you can stop this infection."

John and Vera both shared a glance. Vera turned to Merik first. "How?"

Merik turned to face them. "The cure."

John placed his hands on his hips. "Will it work?"

"That is hard to say, the test we've run were focused on our particular stain of C24." Merik explained. "There's no telling whether it will have the same affect or not."

"How many vials are there?" Vera asked.

"Plenty." Merik answered. "They're located in the Genetics lab, locked in the strongest vault here."

"You have the code?"

"I do."

"So how do we distribute it?" Vera asked.

John looked toward her, catching her gaze. "The filtration system."

Vera caught on. "We turn on the system and feed the cure through it."

"The cure can be added to the dispersal unit. It will filter through every cubic foot of this facility in a matter of minutes." Merik explained.

"Once its added, how much time will we need before the effects are felt on us?" John asked.

"The tests we ran indicated the effects were instantaneous." Merik explained. He paused for a moment. "I will be frank, I do not know what the cure will do to these creatures here. Nor what it could do to either of you."

Vera and John watched Merik closely. They had forgotten that they would be subjected to the cure along with every other creature trapped inside the dome.

"I have every belief that the cure will simply return you to normal, John." Merik explained.

"But Vera was born with twenty-four chromosomes." John stated.

Merik nodded grimly.

Vera exhaled slowly, crossing her arms in front of her body. "Any cure introduce with a subject naturally baring its intended target doesn't survive the treatment." She turned to face John. "guess we finally found something that'll actually kill me."

John watched her closely. The joke was neither appropriate at that moment, nor was it remotely funny to either of them. Her attempt to hide her fear only confirmed it to John. She stood tall, just as she had in the worst of missions and situations. The odds were once again against them. They were staring death in the face...and this time they might in fact finally be escorted to hell. But despite the fear in her eyes, John couldn't find any indication of hesitation.

"What about weapons?" John asked, turning to Merik.

Merik rubbed his chest with a wince. "Armory is fully stocked."

**BANG!**

John and Vera spun around toward the nanowall, drawing on their instinct. They watched as the Kotenka shook as the thundering pounding of fist beat against the wall. Barbs sprung from its tail on reflex, shooting into the floor. The nanowall began to bulge from the force of the beating. The wall wouldn't last much longer than a few more minutes.

"We have to go." John ordered. He pushed Vera toward the back door.

**BANG!**

Vera skid to a stop as the door bulged easily from the impact. They were trapped now. No way out through either exits. John and Vera stood back to back, both taking one door. From his position, Merik groaned and leaned over the console. He could feel the tentacles coursing through his body. Vera turned her gaze to Merik's thrashing body.

"What do we do?" she asked.

John shook his head. "I don't know."

**BANG!**

Vera turned back to the back door. The door was beginning to push inside the rood. The very port into the wall was starting to break away from the wall. One more strike would break the door open completely. She reached for her gun, only to remember it was across the room by the nanowall.

"The vents." Merik gasped. John turned to Merik. The tentacles were spreading through his face and body, but he was still holding on. "Go through the vents, onto the roof. Make for genetics." He doubled over in agony. Vera ran over to him and tried to help him upright. Merik pushed her away. "You're wasting time. Go!"

"Merik-"

Merik looked up at her. "Too much has been lost from our arrogance." he grabbed her arm once more. "Do not waste these sacrifices out of fear. Go." He pushed away from her and reached into the drawer of the console. He pulled out a ST grenade and staggered toward the nanowall.

John grabbed Vera and pulled her from the doors. He pulled to the far wall, right beneath the ventilation system. The far door finally gave way to the beating of the infected. It broke from the frame and bent inside the infirmary. A Rot Imp reached an arm through the hole, clawing at whatever it could. The nanowall shuddered from the continuing beating across the room, where Merik was staggering toward. John lifted Vera up toward the vent. Vera popped the cover off and climbed inside.

"John!" Merik called.

John turned.

Merik stood by the control panel of the nanowall. His face had been nearly completely distorted by the tentacles overtaking his entire body. His hand that held the grenade was fully encased in the virus. With a staggering motion, Merik hurled several objects in John's direction. John caught the box, Sam's comm unit she'd left behind. The second was a gun, Vera's gun. Merik popped the top of the grenade and pressed the button. He turned toward the control panel and opened the nanowall. The Kotenka's body fell to the floor in an instant. John leapt up to the vent as a swarm of infected Imps and Hell knights surged into the infirmary. He pulled himself up into the vent and plunged into the darkness, fleeing from the all too familiar sounds of savagery of the infection.

* * *

okay that was a really annoying chapter to write. I hope it wasn't confusing for you guys. I kinda introduced some new names here. Obviously the Kotenka's the cat-like Imp. The names are actually Russian. Kotenka-Kitty. Rot-Mouth. Like that.

I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but that could be a while. I'm sorry.

translations:

Sukin syn- son of a bitch.


End file.
